Welcoming General Phan Van Giang and the high-level Vietnamese delegation accompanying Party General Secretary and President To Lam on his State visit to Australia, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles said the visit provided an opportunity for the two sides to maintain the positive momentum in the development of the Viet Nam-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with defense cooperation serving as an important pillar of bilateral ties.
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General Phan Van Giang at the talks |
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Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles speaks at the talks. |
The host affirmed his readiness to work with General Phan Van Giang and the leadership of Viet Nam’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) to further promote and enhance the effectiveness of bilateral defense cooperation, contributing to the increasingly strong development of bilateral ties based on mutual respect and for the benefit of both countries, as well as for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region.
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General Phan Van Giang and his Australian counterpart Richard Marles sign the update to the joint vision statement on promoting defense cooperation between the two defense ministries. |
Expressing his pleasure at witnessing the increasingly positive and comprehensive development of Viet Nam-Australia relations, General Giang affirmed that General Secretary and President To Lam’s visit is an important political event that will provide strong momentum for deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries and opening a new phase in bilateral relations.
The guest agreed with the host’s assessment that, over the past years, defense cooperation has remained an important pillar of the overall Viet Nam-Australia relations and has continued to expand, deepen and become increasingly effective and practical.
Regarding future directions, General Phan Van Giang hoped to work with the Australian Department of Defense to translate the common understanding reached by the two countries’ senior leaders on defense cooperation into concrete actions; strengthen friendly, trust-based and substantive relations between the two defense ministries and militaries; and promote bilateral defense cooperation in a manner commensurate with the Viet Nam-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with a focus on maintaining delegation exchanges and cooperation mechanisms; education and training; U.N. peacekeeping operations; cooperation between military services and corps; war legacy remediation; military medicine; search and rescue; defense industry; border management; and continued mutual support at international multilateral forums, particularly within the framework of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+).
On the occasion, General Phan Van Giang thanked Australia for providing supplies and equipment to the Viet Nam Department of Peacekeeping Operations, making a practical contribution to improving the quality of Viet Nam’s training and deployment of personnel to U.N. peacekeeping missions. He expressed his hope that the Australian Department of Defense would consider increasing the number of scholarships for fields needed by Vietnam’s MND. He also said that the Vietnamese side is ready to receive Australian trainees to study Vietnamese and attend the International Defense Officials Course at Vietnamese military academies and schools. General Phan Van Giang also respectfully invited leaders of Australia’s Department of Defense and defense force, as well as Australian defense industry companies, to continue supporting and participating in the third Vietnam Defense Expo in December 2026.
At the talks, the two sides also exchanged views on the global and regional situation and issues of mutual concern. General Phan Van Giang affirmed that Viet Nam consistently pursues a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, and development, as well as the multilateralization and diversification of relations. Viet Nam wishes to be a friend to all countries, steadfastly adheres to its “Four No's” defense policy, and consistently pursues dialogue-based solutions to conflicts and disagreements.
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Lt. Gen. Vu Trung Kien meets with Commissioner Gavan Reynolds. |
Regarding the East Sea (aka South China Sea) issue, Viet Nam remains committed to resolving disputes and differences by peaceful means, on the basis of respect for international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Viet Nam advocates the full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and looks forward to the early conclusion of a substantive, effective and legally binding Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
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Maj. Gen. Le Dinh Cuong meets with Commissioner Gavan Reynolds. |
Concluding the talks, the two sides signed an update to the Joint Vision Statement on promoting defense cooperation between the two defense ministries. As part of General Phan Van Giang’s activities in Australia, the two sides also exchanged three cooperation documents on search and rescue, border protection and coast guard cooperation.
Earlier, on the afternoon of August 11 (local time), in Canberra, as part of General Phan Van Giang’s program, Commander of the Viet Nam Border Guard Command Lieutenant General Vu Trung Kien and Commander of the Vietnam Coast Guard Major General Le Dinh Cuong met with Commissioner of the Australian Border Force Gavan Reynolds.
Translated by Quynh Oanh