The Vietnamese defense delegation, headed by Lieutenant General Le Huy Vinh, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, took part in the event at the invitation of Admiral Philip S. Davidson, Commander of the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), and Rear Admiral Viliame Naupoto, Commander of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces.
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Lieutenant General Le Huy Vinh, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, takes part in the event |
The conference is annually held by the U.S. Department of Defense to enhance friendship and mutual understanding among the participating militaries.
Originally scheduled to take place in Fiji, this year’s conference has been held virtually due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event, themed “Advancing a Free and Open Indo-Pacific”, witnessed the participation of 29 regional countries.
Participants to the conference discussed three main topics: “The meaning and impact of Covid-19 and related transnational health threats on national security”, “the meaning and impact of 5G mobile technology on national security" and "the role of multilateralism in advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific".
Vietnam’s participation in the conference shows the Vietnamese Party and State’s policies of diversification and multi-lateralization of international relations and the country’s responsibility for peace, stability, and development in the region and the world.
On the sidelines of the conference, Lieutenant General Vinh hosted a reception for Colonel Thomas Stevenson, U.S. Defense Attaché to Vietnam.
Translated by Trung Thanh