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Welcome ceremony for the Singaporean delegation |
The dialogue was co-chaired by Deputy Minister of National Defense of Vietnam Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien and Permanent Secretary of the Defense of Singapore Chan Heng Kee.
In his opening remarks, the Vietnamese deputy defense minister emphasized that the year 2025 marks a historic milestone in bilateral relations as Vietnam and Singapore elevated their ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during the official visit of Party General Secretary To Lam and his spouse to Singapore in March 2025. He noted that the upgrade vividly demonstrated the two countries’ political determination to continuously consolidate and enhance their bilateral relationship.
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Sr. Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien presents flowers to Chan Heng Kee and the Singaporean delegation. |
During the dialogue, General Chien underscored the vital role of ASEAN in shaping and maintaining the regional security architecture, fostering practical cooperation among member states, and between ASEAN and its partners.
Regarding the East Sea (internationally known South China Sea) issue, he reaffirmed Vietnam’s consistent stance of resolving all disputes and differences by peaceful means, in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), as well as regional and international commitments such as the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC). He also expressed support for the early signing of a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
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The Vietnamese deputy defense minister chairs the event. |
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Delegation members from both sides at the 16th Vietnam - Singapore Defense Policy Dialogue |
On the ADMM and ADMM-Plus cooperation process, the Vietnamese defense leader highly appreciated Singapore’s active and practical contribution. He affirmed that Vietnam remains committed to continuing its active and responsible participation in the joint efforts of ADMM and ADMM+ for peace and stability in the region.
Both sides proposed to strengthen delegation exchanges and meetings and to make full use of existing cooperation mechanisms. They agreed to maintain effective collaboration in human resources training, expand cooperation and exchanges between their naval, air, and coast guard forces, and explore new areas of mutual interest such as cybersecurity and search and rescue operations. Both sides also emphasized the importance of actively consulting and supporting each other within ASEAN’s military–defense cooperation framework.
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The two heads of delegation sign the Three-Year Defense Cooperation Plan (2025–2028) and the Memorandum of Understanding on training cooperation. |
At the dialogue, the Vietnamese side hoped that the Singaporean Ministry of Defense will continue sending officers to attend Vietnamese language courses and the International Defense Officers’ Course at the National Defense Academy of Vietnam.
In his remarks, the Permanent Secretary of the Singaporean Ministry of Defense sincerely thanked the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense for its warm reception. He stressed that Vietnam and Singapore enjoy an excellent and steadily growing bilateral relationship, with defense cooperation serving as one of its key pillars.
He also expressed sympathy for the people in Vietnam’s central provinces who have been affected by floods and landslides, affirming that Singapore stands ready to cooperate and support Vietnam in overcoming the aftermath of natural disasters.
On this occasion, the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense extended an invitation to the leadership of Singapore’s Ministry of Defense and to Chan Heng Kee personally to attend the 3rd Vietnam Defense Expo, scheduled to be held in 2026.
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Both heads of delegation witness the signing of a naval cooperation document between the two countries’ naval forces. |
The two head delegates then signed the Three-Year Defense Cooperation Plan (2025–2028) and a Memorandum of Understanding on Enhancing Cooperation in Training between the two ministries and witnessed the signing ceremony of a naval cooperation document between the two countries’ naval forces.
Translated by Tran Hoai