On behalf of Vietnamese MND, General Phan Van Giang sincerely thanked leaders of Defense Ministries and militaries of other countries for coming to the first Vietnam International Defense Expo in Hanoi.
The Vietnamese Defense Minister expressed his delight that in spite of being held for the first time, the expo has received the support and active participation of a large number of international partners and friends. He affirmed that the presence of leaders of foreign defense ministries and militaries and the participation of defense industry agencies and enterprises of other countries are extremely valuable, contributing to the success of the event.
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General Phan Van Giang speaking at the meeting |
Defense Minister Phan Van Giang said that Vietnamese MND advocates developing a modern, dual-use defense industry, not only modernizing weapons and equipment, but also serving the people. In addition to carrying out the combat readiness mission to safeguard the Fatherland, the Vietnam People's Army also plays a key role in responding to non-traditional security challenges such as transnational crime, climate change, natural disasters, storms, floods, diseases... to support and protect the people's lives.
He affirmed that building a developed and modern defense industry requires the cooperation of many countries and industries in the world. Since defense industry is the spearhead of the national industry, gathering the most advanced technologies related to many scientific and technical fields, it is difficult for any country to be fully autonomous.
The defense leader said that Vietnam has successfully cooperated with many countries in this field and obtained good results. Vietnam organizes the Vietnam International Defense Expo 2022 to create an opportunity for defense policymakers, defense industry agencies and enterprises of other countries to meet, learn about others’ demand and introduce their strengths, promote stronger cooperation, and further develop the defense industry sector for peace, cooperation, and development.
The expo is also an opportunity for countries to learn about Vietnam, its people, military, thereby enhancing mutual understanding and trust and promoting cooperation for peace and stability in the region and the world.
Defense Minister Phan Van Giang expressed his pleasure at witnessing the signing of a cooperation agreement between the Military Industry-Telecoms Group (Viettel) and an Indian partner in the field of 5G network deployment, along with many agreements and vehicle and equipment purchase contracts.
At the meeting, head delegates thanked the Vietnamese MND for inviting their militaries to attend the expo and congratulated the host on the successful organization of the event. Foreign officials said that they were impressed by the organization, hospitality, and thoughtfulness of the host country, as well as the scale of the event which attracts the participation of many countries, defense enterprises, and defense industry groups in the world.
They highly appreciated Vietnam's first organization of an international defense expo and affirmed that the event demonstrates the country's determination to develop a modern defense industry to serve domestic goals as well as foster defense cooperation with other countries for peace and stability in the region and the world. They considered the event an opportunity for participating militaries to promote cooperation, share experience, and learn from one another in order to strengthen the defense capacity of each country. The head delegates expressed their wish to promote friendship and strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in defense in general and defense industry in particular.
They also showed their impressions of the performances of the Commando troops and Air Force of the Vietnam People’s Army at the opening ceremony of the expo, demonstrating the strength and high determination of the Vietnamese people and military.
Th head delegates were also impressed by the host country’s technological products and defense equipment at the event, saying that the showcased products and equipment prove the progress of Vietnam's defense industry as well as the strong development of the Vietnamese People's Army.
Translated by Tran Hoai