Reporter: Could you, please, highlight innovations in defense foreign relations and international integration after 5 years implementing Resolution 806-NQ/QUTW of the Central Military Commission and 3 years implementing the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress?
Deputy Defense Minister: The 5-year implementation of Resolution 806-NQ/QUTW of the Central Military Commission on defense foreign relations and international integration toward 2020 and beyond as well as the 3-year implementation of the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress have led to remarkable positive changes in various aspects of defense foreign relations and international integration, and particularly improved the military’s awareness of defense foreign relations and international integration. Troops across the army well comprehended the mission of protecting the Fatherland in the current situation that requires the military to make more efforts and implement comprehensive approaches to complete the mission.
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Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, Deputy Defense Minister grants an interview to the People’s Army Newspaper |
Defense foreign relations are considered a front and a peaceful approach to protect the Fatherland. In fact, we take defense foreign relations as a forum to cooperate and struggle with others to protect our national territorial sovereignty, maintain peace and heighten the country’s status in the international arena. We struggle in a peaceful but explicit manner with the foreign countries that have different interests or/and different viewpoints on sovereignty, political system and defense issues.
Over the past years, the defense foreign relations service has contributed positively to building the military, via promoting cooperation on personnel training, science and technology, defense industry. Moreover, via defense foreign relations at the multilateral mechanisms, Vietnam has made a large contribution to regional and global peace and security; hence the country’s status and the military’s position have been improved internationally.
Reporter: In your viewpoint, what is the breakthrough in conducting defense foreign relations and international integration over the past time?
Deputy Defense Minister: The biggest breakthrough of our military in implementing defense foreign relations and international integration over the past time is to harmonize the country’s interests with regional and global ones. Thanks to this, the country has attracted additional resources from the outside, and taken advantage of the world’s development as well as benefits from the regional and global situations for our defense development and protection of the Fatherland.
On the other hand, we have managed to pursue our policy of independence and self-reliance in external affairs, maintain the strategic balance and create domestic political stability and a peaceful environment favorable for national socio-economic development despite changes in the region and world.
Reporter: Vietnam will take over the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2020 so what will the military focus on?
Deputy Defense Minister: Observers forecast that the region and world may experience a number of strategic changes. Against this backdrop, the military should successfully fulfill the responsibility for hosting regional defense and military events, to contribute positively to the success of Vietnam’s ASEAN Chairmanship.
I think what the bloc needs the most at present is to reach consensus on its strategic views and interests. Thus, it is expected that there will be a Hanoi Statement on ASEAN unity and solidarity, the central role of ASEAN in regional mechanisms, and ASEAN’s positive contribution to regional and global peace and security. These may also be the targets of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) in 2020.
Additionally, ADMM+ (Meeting of ASEAN and its 8 partners’ Defense Ministers) is also expected to seek a common view on a strategic vision on Asia-Pacific and expand cooperation between ASEAN and its partners.
Reporter: As Vietnam is going to deploy a level 2 field hospital to the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, it will elevate its participation scale in UN peacekeeping operations from individuals to a military unit. What does it mean, Mr. Deputy Defense Minister?
Deputy Defense Minister: We have prepared the level 2 field hospital for UN peacekeeping operations for a long time, and now it is ready for deployment.
Vietnam has focused our domestic resources and called on international support for the preparation of the level 2 field hospital for UN peacekeeping operations. This has demonstrated our commitment and responsibility to the UN and the international community as a whole.
As you know, Vietnam will hold the ASEAN Chairmanship, and will officially run for a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2020. A successful deployment of the level 2 field hospital to the UN peacekeeping mission will benefit the country in its race for a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council in 2020.
In addition to the care from the Party, State, National Assembly and Government, the military has received strong support from the people and armed forces in preparing the level 2 field hospital as the whole people and army have been aware of the significance of the country’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations.
Reporter: In his remarks at the recent 30th National Diplomacy Conference, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong underscored the importance to build a new position and status of Vietnam in foreign relations at both bilateral and multilateral levels, saying that the country should raise a stronger voice and have more active standing to protect the core interest in foreign relations, particularly in the region. What do you think the defense foreign relations sector should do to achieve the goals?
Deputy Defense Minister: I totally agreed with the Party General Secretary’s view when he said that we should have a stronger voice to protect our national interests and the Party’s principles. According to me, we should actively promote foreign relations first for our nation. We should not be in passive position waiting for other countries to establish relations with our country but always be active in carefully preparing basic issues of our principles before establishment of any foreign relations. We should also be active in proposing initiatives and issues benefiting the country but also serving the common interests.
The Party General Secretary also suggested that we should well match words with deeds in order to win international trust. I strongly advocate his viewpoint.
After the 30th National Diplomatic Conference, General Ngo Xuan Lich, Defense Minister, instructed relevant under-ministerial agencies to compile the Party General Secretary’s speech into an official document for the whole army to study.
Reporter: When highlighting results of defense foreign relations over the past time at the 30th National Diplomatic Conference, you affirmed that the defense foreign relations sector had closely followed the principles of the Party in foreign relations, including maintaining the strategic balance; keeping both cooperation and struggle, and struggling for better cooperation in foreign relations. Can you clarify the principles?
Deputy Defense Minister: We pursue the policy of independence and self-reliance in both external relations and domestic affairs so we should promote multilateral relations, diversify relations and maintain the strategic balance. We can only be independent when we do not rely on anyone.
This is our country’s consistent policy. But what we should do in the reality to well implement it? In foreign relations, there always exist agreements and differences. We should see the things in common with others to promote cooperation; and at the same time, we should not turn our back on differences between our country and others because the very differences willy-nilly impact our national interests. Therefore, we should prioritize cooperation but still have to struggle with others in an appropriate way in order to promote mutual understanding, narrow the difference to cooperate better and more effective.
Reporter: Thank you Mr. Deputy Defense Minister.
Interviewed by Vu Hung-Van Hieu
Translated by Thu Nguyen