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Sr. Lt. Gen. Pham Hoai Nam receives Cosmin Dobran. |
At the meeting, the Vietnamese deputy defense minister emphasized that the visit by Cosmin Dobran and his delegation was a valuable opportunity for both sides to exchange views and further promote increasingly effective and substantive bilateral defense cooperation.
General Nam expressed his pleasure at the dynamic and comprehensive development of Vietnam – European Union (E.U.) relations across various fields over the 35 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties, including emerging areas, such as green transition, science and technology, and innovation.
In particular, defense cooperation between the two sides has been carried out in line with the Vietnam – E.U. Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (PCA) and the Framework Participation Agreement (FPA) between the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the E.U., establishing the framework for Vietnam’s participation in E.U. crisis management operations. Highlights of this cooperation include United Nations peacekeeping operations, training, and joint activities between the E.U. and the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense supported by the “Enhancing Security Cooperation in and with Asia” (ESIWA) project.
The Vietnamese defense leader highly valued the outcomes of the recent Vietnam – E.U. Security and Defense Consultation held between the Department of Foreign Relations of Vietnam’s MND and the EEAS, noting that it contributed to concretizing directions for future defense cooperation. He affirmed that the MND would instruct relevant agencies to implement the agreed-upon initiatives to further enhance Vietnam – E.U. defense cooperation in a practical and effective manner, commensurate with the potential of their overall relationship.
He also noted that the Government of Vietnam has adopted comprehensive policies, solutions, and plans that have been implemented nationwide, with the strong involvement of the entire political system, to address the recommendations of the European Commission (E.C.). On this occasion, General Nam called on the EEAS and the Deputy Managing Director personally to pay attention and influence the E.U. to soon remove the IUU (illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing) yellow card imposed on Vietnamese seafood.
For his part, Cosmin Dobran stressed that the consultation provided an opportunity for both sides to discuss concrete cooperation plans and explore potential areas of collaboration to further strengthen Vietnam – E.U. defense relations in the future.
Dobran also welcomed the strong commitment shown by both parties to promoting a fair and sustainable partnership. He thanked Vietnam for deploying peacekeeping forces for missions in the Central African Republic and expressed confidence that Vietnam would continue to make greater contribution to U.N. peacekeeping in the coming years.
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Sr. Lt. Gen. Pham Hoai Nam hands over a souvenir to the guest. |
The EEAS representative suggested that both sides expand cooperation to more effectively address emerging security challenges, including maritime security and cybersecurity.
Translated by Tran Hoai