Gen. Giang is leading a high-ranking delegation of the Ministry of National Defense to attend the 10th International Military-Technical Forum ARMY-2024 in Russia and the inauguration ceremony of the monument dedicated to Vietnamese volunteer troops who joined battles to defend Moscow in the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945).
At the talks, the Vietnamese defense chief emphasized that the visit of the Vietnamese delegation this time was to realize the policy of deepening the traditional friendship, comprehensive strategic partnership that the two countries’ senior leaders reached during President Vladimir Putin’s state visit to Vietnam in June this year.
He confirmed that Vietnam is persistent with the foreign policy of independence, resilience, peace, friendship and development cooperation, multilateralization and diversification of relations; being a friend, a trusted partner, and an active and responsible member in the international community. He also underlined that Vietnam is faithful in international relations, treasures neighborliness and friendship with other countries. He laid stress on the fine friendship between Vietnam and Russia.
The Vietnamese official also made clear the viewpoint and “Four No’s” defense policy of Vietnam with the aim of peace, self-defense and protection of the Fatherland early and from afar.
Minister Giang stressed that the people and military of Vietnam always bear in mind the wholehearted support from Russia in the past struggle for national reunification and for the current Fatherland building and defense.
Regarding the inauguration of the aforementioned monument, he said that it is a symbol and a testament to the traditional relations between the two countries with defense cooperation being an important pillar.
Speaking highly of the Russian Ministry of Defense’s preparation and organization of ARMY-2024, the Vietnamese minister expressed his belief that the success of this forum would further consolidate the prestige and position of Russian Ministry of Defense in particular and of Russia in general.
    |
 |
|
Minister Phan Van Giang and his Russian counterpart Andrey Removich Belousov at the event |
Given that in December this year, the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense will celebrate the 80th founding anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army and hold the Vietnam International Defense Expo 2024, Gen. Giang invited his Russian counterpart to participate in and hoped to receive support and active engagement from the Russian Ministry of Defense’s leadership and Russian defense enterprises.
Minister Andrey Removich Belousov highlighted the time-honored friendship between Vietnam and Russia. He highly appreciated and treasured the policy of deepening the two countries’ comprehensive strategic partnership. He stressed that he would consider the Vietnamese ministry’s cooperation proposals, particularly in training, coordination between agencies and units. He agreed to boost the signing of the two sides’ cooperation agreements in the time ahead and hoped that the Vietnam side would continue creating conditions for Russia’s military ships to make port calls and anchor at international ports of Vietnam and conduct joint exercises within visits. He voiced his support to accelerate cooperation in new fields in accordance with the capabilities and conditions of each country.
Also, the two ministers discussed global and regional situations and other issues of common concern. Regarding the East Sea (aka South China Sea) issue, Minister Giang emphasized Vietnam’s consistent standpoint of addressing all disputes and disagreements by peaceful means on the basis of international law, especially the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982; international and regional commitments such as the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC); and the country's support for the early signing of the substantive, effective and legally-binding Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
In terms of bilateral cooperation, the two ministers highly praised the development of the bilateral defense ties in a trusted, practical, effective and comprehensive fashion in accordance with the agreed documents and agreements, especially the joint vision statement on Vietnam-Russia defense cooperation in the 2020-2025 period. They also laid stress on important achievements in all-level delegation exchanges, effective maintenance of cooperation mechanisms, particularly defense strategic dialogue at the deputy defense minister level, training, cooperation between arms and services, effective coordination at international multilateral forums on defense, especially ASEAN-led mechanisms, including ADMM+.
|
|
 |
|
Minister Andrey Removich Belousov (L) presents a souvenir to his Vietnamese counterpart Phan Van Giang. |
Minister Giang spoke highly of the Russian Ministry of Defense’s attention to and participation in joint scientific research within the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Center, importantly contributing to developing the center into a regional scientific research establishment, deserving to be a symbol of the two countries’ cooperation.
Regarding future cooperation, the two ministers reached agreement on bolstering the bilateral defense cooperation with a focus on aforementioned fields, on military-political cooperation on the basis of the memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the General Department of Political Affairs of the Vietnam People’s Army and the Military-Political Main Directorate of the Russian Armed Forces, and on speeding up the completion of the dossier on the 70 years (1950 – 2020) of the Vietnam-Soviet Union/Russia defense relations.
By Thu Trang from Moscow, Russia
Translated by Mai Huong