At the meeting with Secretary-General of the Malaysian Ministry of Defense Datuk Lokman Hakim bin Ali, both sides highly praised positive outcomes of the bilateral defense ties in such fields as delegation exchanges, dialogue mechanism, personnel training, search and rescue at sea, port calls, and mutual support in multilateral forums.
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Sr. Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien meets with Secretary-General of the Malaysian Ministry of Defense Datuk Lokman Hakim bin Ali. |
Gen. Chien believed that the Ministry of Defense of Malaysia will successfully fulfill its role as the chair of ASEAN defense and military meetings in 2025 and confirmed that Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) fully supports the country in carrying out this responsibility.
For his part, the Malaysian official emphasized Malaysia’s all-out efforts to perform its role, promote unity and effective cooperation within ASEAN and between the grouping and its external partners. He hoped to deepen defense ties with Vietnam, contributing to the country’s realization of its goals in its ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2025.
Both officials agreed to launch the countries’ first deputy minister-level defense policy dialogue this year.
On the occasion, the Malaysian official invited Gen. Chien and other leaders of the Vietnamese MND to attend the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition this May.
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At the meeting between Sr. Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien and Gen. Sanitchanog |
Meeting with Thailand’s Permanent Secretary for Defense General Sanitchanog, the two sides highly praised the two defense ministries’ practical and effective collaboration and hailed the memorandum of understanding on maritime law enforcement cooperation signed by the Vietnam Coast Guard Command and the Thailand Maritime Enforcement Command Center last August.
They agreed on the enhancement of high-level delegation exchanges, time for the sixth Vietnam-Thailand defense policy dialogue, promotion of cooperation between arms and services, particularly maritime law enforcement force, and further coordination in defense industry, logistics, military medicine, search and rescue operations, and experience-sharing on the military’s role in disease prevention and control and border management.
Gen. Sanitchanog conveyed the invitation to Minister of National Defense General Phan Van Giang and other defense leaders of Vietnam to attend as well as Vietnamese defense enterprises to display products at the Thai Defense and Security Exhibition this November.
In his meeting with Chief of the Office of the Lao Ministry of National Defense Major General Somphone Mittaphone, Gen. Chien suggested the two sides strengthen bilateral defense cooperation, maintain the annual meeting among defense ministers of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, and the joint exercise among the three militaries in Laos. He gave suggestions on improving human resources training, organizing a conference on military cadet training in Vietnam, and closely coordinating and backing each other’s view on multilateral issues of common concern.
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Sr. Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien talks with Maj. Gen. Somphone Mittaphone. |
The Lao general took this chance to express deep gratitude to Vietnam for its continued support, describing it as a testament to the two countries’ unique relationship.
Both sides agreed to organize the fifth Vietnam-Laos defense policy dialogue in Luang Prabang, Laos together with an exchange between the two militaries’ young officers.
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Sr. Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien and Gen. Nem Sowat |
In the meeting with General Nem Sowat, Director General of the General Department of Policy and Foreign Affairs under the Cambodian Ministry of National Defense, the two sides spoke highly of the bilateral defense ties, especially the close coordination and effective implementation of cooperation contents. They were unanimous to maintain consultation and mutual support at multilateral forums to which both countries are members, promote solidarity and cooperation within ASEAN, and ASEAN centrality in the regional and the world, and prepare for the second Vietnam-Cambodia border defense friendship exchange.
By Kieu Trinh from Fukuoka, Japan
Translated by Mai Huong