This visit aimed to further promote the relationship between the two militaries and also served as the opener of their military-defense cooperation activities in celebration of the 45th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Malaysia diplomatic relations.
On March 6, a grand welcoming ceremony for the Vietnamese delegates took place at the Headquarters of the Malaysian Armed Forces, and after this, General Giang held talks with General Affandi.
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Senior Lieutenant General Phan Van Giang (R) talking with General Mohamed Affandi |
Welcoming the Vietnamese delegation, General Affandi underlined that the visit was to contribute to implementing the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on bilateral defense cooperation signed in 2008 and other contents reached during the official visit to Malaysia by the Vietnamese Defense Minister in 2016.
They affirmed that both Vietnam and Malaysia pay special attention to their relations with other ASEAN member states, and their relationship is even closer as the two countries have established a strategic partnership.
They held that they would make efforts to boost the bilateral cooperation, whereby they will contribute to enhancing solidarity within ASEAN and maintaining its central and leading role among regional mechanisms.
Particularly, Vietnam and Malaysia have enjoyed sound developments in defense ties, especially in the fields of delegation exchanges, navy and air force, as well as education and training cooperation.
In the coming time, General Giang and General Affandi stressed that the two sides should continue to maintain joint activities, such as delegation exchanges at all levels, meetings of young officers, information and experience sharing, and support for each other at multilateral forums. Moreover, Vietnam and Malaysia will hold a joint working group on bilateral defense cooperation.
General Giang took this chance to invite General Affandi to visit Vietnam at a mutually-convenient time. The Malaysian Armed Forces Chief accepted the invitation with pleasure.
On the previous day, General Giang and other Vietnamese delegates visited the Malaysian Army Command West of the Malaysian Armed Forces.
At the meeting, the Vietnamese delegates were briefed on the command’s traditions, functions, and regular missions by its Commander, Lieutenant General Datuk Azizan. The unit includes three divisions, in charge of conducting training and combat readiness, supporting local authorities to ensure order and security in Peninsular Malaysia (West Malaysia), and training peacekeepers.
Additionally, the Chief of the VPA’s General Staff visited the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia.
Translated by Van Hieu