At the meeting, both deputy ministers expressed satisfaction with the steady expansion of bilateral defense cooperation in both breadth and depth over the past time. The two sides agreed to continue actively implementing key areas of cooperation in the time to come, including the exchange of delegations, particularly at the high level.
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Sr. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Van Hien (L) and his Italian counterpart Matteo Perego di Cremnago |
Gen. Hien conveyed greetings from Defense Minister General Phan Van Giang and extended an invitation to Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto to pay an official visit to Vietnam in 2026. He also invited leaders of the Italian Ministry of Defense to attend the third Vietnam Defense Expo, scheduled for December 2026 in Hanoi.
Both sides agreed to maintain and enhance the effectiveness of existing cooperation mechanisms, and to soon coordinate the organization of the sixth Deputy Minister-level Defense Policy Dialogue in Italy, alongside meetings of the Joint Working Group on defense cooperation. They also pledged to step up cooperation in defense equipment, post-war mine clearance, cybersecurity, and other fields of mutual interest.
Vietnam expressed readiness to cooperate with Italy in organizing U.N. peacekeeping training courses in the region, and study the signing of a memorandum of understanding on peacekeeping cooperation in the near future. In terms of training, Vietnam is prepared to receive Italian officers for Vietnamese language studies and participation in international defense officials’ courses.
The two sides agreed to continue close coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, particularly within the U.N. and ASEAN-E.U. frameworks.
Gen. Hien proposed that Italy consider establishing a resident Defense Attaché Office in Vietnam to further enhance the effectiveness of bilateral defense cooperation.
For his part, Deputy Minister Matteo Perego di Cremnago expressed his confidence that defense relations between the two countries would continue to grow in line with the Vietnam-Italy strategic partnership, contributing to the interests of both countries as well as to peace, stability, and development in the region and the world.
Translated by Quynh Oanh