September 12, 2019 | 20:00 (GMT+7)
Vietnam, Australia step up defense cooperation
PANO – A visiting delegation of the Vietnam’s National Steering Board for the Search, Collection and Identification of War Martyrs’ Remains, led by Deputy Defense Minister Senior Lieutenant General Le Chiem, on September 11 had a meeting with the Secretary of Defense and Chief of the Australian Defense Force at the headquarters of the Australian Defense Ministry.
The delegation was accompanied by Vietnamese Ambassador to Australia Ngo Huong Nam, and Lieutenant General Do Can, Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army.
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Both sides' delegates pose for a joint photo at the event |
The meeting took place in a context that the bilateral relations between the two countries have been developing in a more effective and practical manner. In this circumstance, the defense cooperation between Vietnam and Australia has also thrived, gained a number of achievements in various fields, now become an important pillar in the Vietnam-Australia strategic partnership.
At the meeting, Senior Lieutenant General Le Chiem thanked the Australian Defense Ministry for providing Vietnam with a digital database of Vietnamese soldiers missing in action during the past war. This is a goodwill gesture of the Australian Government and a clear demonstration of the thriving Vietnam-Australia relationship.
Over the past time, the Vietnamese Government has implemented many policies to promote search and collection of its fallen soldiers who died during wartime. Vietnam had also asked the Australian side to provide Vietnam with information, documents and objects relating to Vietnamese fallen soldiers.
The National Steering Board for the Search, Collection and Identification of War Martyrs’ Remains of Vietnam will be responsible for receiving information and documents from Australia, he added.
For his part, Lieutenant General Angus Campbell, Chief of the Australian Defense Force warmly welcomed the visiting Vietnamese delegation and totally agreed on the contents suggested by the Vietnamese side. He also hoped to further cooperate with Vietnam in overcoming war consequences.
It is a way not only to assist Vietnam in searching for fallen soldiers, but also to help Australian veterans who fought in Vietnam during the war overcome the war obsession, the General Angus Campbell affirmed.
Translated by Lam Anh