During the dialogue, Sr. Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien underlined that since the seventh edition of the event (March 2024), defense cooperation between the two countries has been implemented in an active and effective manner across various fields, in line with the Vietnam - Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
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An overview of the dialogue |
In the time to come, based on the documents and agreements signed between the two Defense Ministries, Gen. Chien proposed that both sides should continue to strengthen cooperation in various areas, including delegation exchanges and contacts at all levels, especially high-level ones; collaboration between arms and services, military medicine, war legacy remediation, defense industry, and border management; effective implementation of the three-year cooperation plan (2025-2027) to carry out the recently signed Peacekeeping Partnership Agreement at the end of July; and coordination in multilateral activities, particularly within the framework of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+).
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Sr. Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien speaks at the event. |
Emphasizing that training cooperation is a foundation in the bilateral defense relations, the Vietnamese defense leader expressed his hope that the Australian Ministry of Defense would expand undergraduate and postgraduate defense scholarships in priority fields and welcomed the continued deployment of Australian personnel to learn Vietnamese at Vietnamese institutions, including the Military Science Academy and the National Defense Academy.
For his part, Hugh Jeffrey affirmed that Vietnam is an important partner for Australia, and defense cooperation has become a key pillar in bilateral relations. He also hoped that in the time ahead, the two sides will explore and expand new areas of cooperation in line with the needs, potential, and interests of both countries.
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Both sides sign three-year cooperation plan for the 2025-2027 period. |
At the dialogue, the two sides exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern. Gen. Chien reiterated Vietnam’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development, multilateralization and diversification of foreign relations. Vietnam is ready to cooperate with all countries and international organizations for peace, cooperation and development, he said, highlighting the country’s consistent "four no's” defense policy.
Regarding the East Sea (aka South China Sea) issue, he reaffirmed Vietnam’s stance on the settlement of disputes through peaceful measures in accordance with international law, particularly the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982, as well as full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and early finalization of a substantive, effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
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Delegates in a joint photo |
Jeffrey emphasized that Vietnam and Australia share a common vision and stance on many regional and international issues. On the East Sea issue, Australia supports the viewpoint of respecting each country’s sovereignty and resolving disputes through peaceful means in accordance with international law.
Concluding the event, both sides signed three-year cooperation plan for the 2025-2027 period.
Translated by Quynh Oanh