At the meeting with the acting US Secretary of Defense Shanahan, the two sides agreed that the Vietnam-US cooperation over the past time has achieved practical results, in accordance with the comprehensive partnership between the two countries, and contributed to maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world.
The acting US Secretary of Defense Shanahan highly applauded Vietnam's voice in the region and world, and affirmed its support for Vietnam’s Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2020. He also appreciated the participation of Vietnam in UN peacekeeping operations.
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General Ngo Xuan Lich (L) and acting US Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan |
Vietnamese Defense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich applauded and asked the US side to continue with the Vietnamese side to soon complete the project to deal with dioxin pollution in Bien Hoa airport, as well as to support Vietnam to deploy its level 2 field hospital No.2 and a military engineering company to UN peacekeeping missions on request.
The two defense officials agreed to step up the implementation of the cooperation deals signed by the two sides, and that the two sides should prioritize cooperation in overcoming the war’s consequences including unexploded ordinance (UXOs) in Vietnam, training military personnel, and maintaining dialogue mechanisms and exchanges of high-level delegations.
* At the meeting with New Zealander Defense Minister Ron Mark, General Lich expressed his delight at the fine developments in the Vietnam-New Zealand relations in general, and in the bilateral defense ties in particular over the past time.
In order to implement the cooperation deals agreed by the two ministers during the official visit to New Zealand of Defense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich in 2018, the two sides agreed to continue exchange of delegations at all levels, further promote the successful fields of cooperation, and look for more potential of cooperation in suitable areas based on needs of the two sides, including personnel training, cyber-security, search and rescue, and participation in UN peacekeeping operations.
General Lich said that as an active member of ASEAN, Vietnam supported New Zealand promote cooperation with ASEAN, particularly in defense cooperation; and hoped that the country will support and participate in activities hosted by Vietnam when it undertakes the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2020.
* At the bilateral meeting between General Lich and the UK Defense Minister Penny Mordaunt, the two sides hailed recent good outcomes of the bilateral defense cooperation in exchange of delegations, personnel training, and UN peacekeeping operations.
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General Ngo Xuan Lich and UK Defense Minister Penny Mordaunt |
General Lich thanked the UK Ministry of Defense for its support to Vietnam in deploying its level-2 field hospital No.1 in South Sudan, and in teaching English for Vietnamese officers participating in UN peacekeeping missions.
To expand the defense cooperation on a par with the UK-Vietnam strategic partnership, the two defense ministers agreed that the two countries should increase delegation exchanges, effectively implement dialogue mechanisms, sign more cooperation deals, support each other in multilateral forums, promote joint scientific and technological research and enhance cooperation in UN peacekeeping operations.
The Vietnamese Defense Minister also requested the UK side to continue to provide English training for Vietnamese military personnel and said the Vietnamese Defense Ministry is ready to welcome UK military officers to training courses in Vietnam.
* At his meeting with the Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Heng, the two ministers acknowledged good results of the bilateral cooperation in various fields over the last years.
In addition to implement the existing cooperation contents, the two sides agreed to focus on several areas, including delegation exchange, exchange of young officers, cooperation between the two sides' armed forces, military medicine sector, search and rescue, defense industry, support for each other at multilateral fora, particularly when Vietnam takes the ASEAN Chair position in 2020.
* At the bilateral meeting between General Lich and French Defense Minister Florence Parly, the two ministers expressed their pleasure while seeing each other again after the official visit to France by Defense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich in September, 2016; and highly applauded the bilateral defense cooperation between the two countries over the past time.
Accordingly, the two sides agreed to continue to further promote the existing cooperation mechanisms, and seek opportunities for other cooperation fields based on strengths and common interests of the two sides. General Lich said that Vietnam always supports the positive efforts of France to maintain peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region, and also readies to support France to strengthen cooperation with ASEAN.
* At the meeting between Vietnamese Defense Minister General Ngo Xuan Lich and Malaysian Defense Minister Mohamad Sabu, the two ministers agreed to promote the bilateral defense relations between the two countries in a practical manner, on par with the Vietnam-Malaysia strategic partnership, as well as to further boost the existing cooperation fields, such as personnel training, navy, and coast guard forces.
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Vietnamese Defense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich (R) and Malaysian Defense Minister Mohamad Sabu |
General Ngo Xuan Lich asked the two sides to actively direct the two countries' maritime law enforcement forces to humanely handle cases of fishermen's violations of each other’s waters.
* At the meeting with Mongolian Defense Minister Enkhbold Nyamaa, the two defense ministers recognized that on the basis of the Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral defense cooperation signed in 2013, the bilateral cooperation between the two countries has brought practical outcomes. To expand the defense cooperation on a par with the potentials and close bilateral relations of the two countries, the two ministers agreed to promote cooperation in exchange delegations, personnel training, improvement of armed forces’ capacity, and UN Peacekeeping Operations while actively implementing cooperation under the framework of the Memorandum of 2013. General Lich took the chance to invite the Mongolian Defense Minister to soon visit to Vietnam to discuss measures to promote bilateral defense cooperation.
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General Ngo Xuan Lich (L) and Mongolian Defense Minister Enkhbold Nyamaa |
In addition to bilateral meetings, the Vietnamese Defense Minister also had talks with High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, and Canadian Defense Minister to discuss measures to promote defense cooperation in the coming time.
Today (June 2), the Vietnamese Defense Minister made a speech at the fifth plenary session discussing measures to prevent conflicts in contested domains.
Translated by Lam Anh