The Vietnamese and Cambodian delegations to the dialogue were led by Vietnamese Deputy Defense Minister, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh and General Neang Phat, Secretary of State at the Cambodian Ministry of Defense.
At the dialogue, the two sides exchanged the development of security and political situations in the region and the world and cooperation of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+), reviewed defense cooperation between the two countries over the past time and discussed measures to expand the bilateral ties in the coming time. They reached common view on strategic issues affecting politic situations and security of the two countries and affirmed that the two sides should strengthen bilateral defense relations as well as maintain and promote their friendship and comprehensive cooperation.
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Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh (L) and General Neang Phat |
The two officials evaluated that over the past time bilateral defense cooperation activities have been carried out in line with the protocol on bilateral defense cooperation for the 2015-2019 period and the 2019 cooperation plan between the two defense ministries.
They agreed to strengthen coordination to effectively implement the contents of the protocol and annual cooperation plan with a focus on promoting political cooperation in the military, countering destructive allegations of hostile forces on social media and fostering the education and dissemination of the friendship and solidarity of the two countries and militaries for young generations.
The two countries will also upgrade the border defense exchange mechanism to the defense ministry level, continue the preservation of friendship projects and cooperate in organizing border rescue exercises and border friendship exchanges between their border guard forces. They agreed to maintain defense policy dialogue mechanism, considering it an important channel to seek a common perception on regional security issues and orient defense cooperation contents, cooperate in ensuring security in border areas and focus on training and education.
Later in the day, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister General Tea Banh hosted a reception for the Vietnamese delegation in Cambodia for the fourth Vietnam-Cambodia defense policy dialogue.
At the meeting, the Vietnamese head delegate extended Vietnamese Defense Minister General Ngo Xuan Lich’s greeting to General Tea Banh and briefed him on the outcomes of the fourth dialogue. He expressed hope that the Cambodian Defense Ministry and General Tea Banh will focus their leadership and instructions on the implementation of contents in the protocol, annual cooperation plan as well as cooperation agreements reached by the two countries’ high-level officials and defense ministries.
The Cambodian Defense Minister emphasized the significance of the visit of the Vietnamese defense delegation and the dialogue in the context of complicated international and regional security situation. General Tea Banh thanked the Vietnamese Defense Ministry for its activities to mark the 42nd anniversary of the national salvation journey of Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen in Binh Phuoc province.
Hailing the achievements of bilateral defense cooperation over the past time, General Tea Banh asked the two sides to promote exchanges, renew cooperation contents and organization methods and seek new fields of cooperation so as to strengthen the bilateral defense cooperation in an intensive and effective manner. He emphasized that the Cambodian Defense Ministry and he himself will continue supporting cooperation between military units of the two countries.
During the visit to Cambodia, general Vinh and the Vietnamese delegation laid wreath and lit incense at the Vietnam-Cambodia Friendship Monument in Phnom Penh.
Translated by Tran Hoai