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General Phan Van Giang and Ambassador Olivier Brochet |
Congratulating Ambassador Olivier Brochet on the successful completion of his tenure in Viet Nam, General Phan Van Giang highly appreciated the diplomat’s contributions to the relations between the two countries in general and to bilateral defense cooperation in particular. He noted that the elevation of Viet Nam-France relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in October 2024 had created favorable conditions for the two countries to further enhance the effectiveness of cooperation across various fields, including defense.
General Phan Van Giang affirmed that Viet Nam attaches great importance to cooperation with France, an important member of the European Union (E.U.) and Viet Nam’s first Comprehensive Strategic Partner within the E.U. In recent years, bilateral relations have been effectively promoted across a wide range of areas, including economic and trade cooperation, science and technology, education and training, culture and tourism, as well as defense and security. Bilateral defense cooperation has also received attention and been actively promoted by both sides, achieving practical results in such areas as delegation exchanges, dialogues and consultations, training, military medicine, U.N. peacekeeping, and defense industry cooperation.
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General Phan Van Giang receives Ambassador Olivier Brochet. |
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An overview of the meeting |
On this occasion, General Phan Van Giang thanked France for sending peacekeeping experts to provide technical support for the Viet Nam Department of Peacekeeping Operations and for facilitating the deployment of Vietnamese officers to the European Union Training Mission in the Central African Republic.
The Vietnamese Defense Minister expressed his hope that bilateral defense cooperation would be further strengthened in the coming period. He affirmed that the Vietnamese MND stands ready to work with the French Ministry of the Armed Forces and Veterans to effectively implement the signed cooperation mechanisms and agreements, particularly in areas where both sides still have significant potential, such as training, military medicine, U.N. peacekeeping, defense industry, cooperation in searching for missing military personnel, and the exchange of war memorabilia.
For his part, Ambassador Olivier Brochet expressed his appreciation to leaders of the MND, agencies and units of the Viet Nam People’s Army for their enthusiastic and effective support and cooperation throughout his tenure in Viet Nam.
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General Phan Van Giang hands over a souvenir to Ambassador Olivier Brochet. |
The diplomat expressed delight at witnessing the positive results achieved in Viet Nam-France cooperation in general and cooperation between the defense ministries of the two countries in particular. He expressed his hope that bilateral defense cooperation between Viet Nam and France would continue to develop in an increasingly substantive manner, focusing on such areas as U.N. peacekeeping, military medicine, training, and defense industry.
Translated by tran Hoai