The three delegations led by Vietnamese Defense Minister Phan Van Giang, Lao Deputy Prime Minister cum Defense Minister General Chansamone Chanyalath, and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister cum Defense Minister Tea Seiha.
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Defense leaders of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia during the event |
Currently, natural disasters have developed complicatedly, leaving serious consequences to the world’s economy, especially local people living in the affected areas. Earthquakes, storms, floods, landslides often occur in Southeast Asia, developing out of control of a country and requiring the support of international community. ASEAN countries’ governments signed the ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response, which started to take effect from December 24, 2009.
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Some images during the exercise |
Over the past years, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia have actively participated in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief work in the region and the world. They have also conducted joint exercises in response to natural disasters and epidemics. Especially, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the three militaries closely joined hands in the fight against the pandemic and supported local people.
However, in recent years, small earthquakes with increasing intensity and frequency have occurred in the Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia shared borderline. In order to respond to natural disasters, implementing directions of the three defense ministers, the military medical forces have conducted this joint exercise, in coordination with local medical forces, to practice rescuing earthquake-hit victims. This is an occasion for participating forces to boost coordination ability and readiness to participate in medical relief in the region and the world when needed.
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The three defense ministers present gifts of encouragement to participating forces. |
The exercise’s contents include joint medical command; rescuing victims at the scene; receiving, classifying, and providing first aid to victims at an emergency station; transporting seriously-injured victims by ambulances and helicopters.
Translated by Minh Anh