On the occasion, the Representative of the European Union (EU) for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell Fontelles, invited Vietnam to send peacekeeping officers to join a EU training mission in the Central Africa Republic.

The request was made in a letter handed over by the Deputy Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific in the European External Action Service (EEAS) Paola Pampaloni to Deputy Defense Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh at their meeting.

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Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh receives Deputy Managing Director of the Asia and Pacific Department, European External Action Service.

Gen. Vinh stressed that over the past time, the bilateral defense has been promoted by both Vietnam and the EU. Notably, the two sides signed an agreement on the establishment of the framework for Vietnam’s participation in crisis management activities of the EU (named the Framework Participation Agreement (FPA)) in October 2019.

He said that along with the Vietnam – EU Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation Framework Agreement (PCA), the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the Vietnam-EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), the signing of the FPA has contributed to promoting the comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and the EU.

Stressing that 2020 is an important year for Vietnam as the country assumes the double role of Chair of ASEAN and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, the Vietnamese Deputy Minister hoped that the two sides will strengthen exchange of delegations at all levels and boost cooperation in many fields, including peacekeeping and training.

Agreeing Paola Pampaloni revealed that the Chairman of the EU Military Committee, General Claudio Graziano will visit Vietnam in mid-2020. Later this year the two sides will hold the second defense-security dialogue in Vietnam.

"Those activities will contribute to promote the defense cooperation between Vietnam and the EU in an effective manner," noted Paola Pampalon.

Translated by Lam Anh