At the reception at the headquarters of the Ministry of National Defense, General Lich emphasized that defense policy dialogue is an activity that has contributed to reinforcing the friendship, mutual understanding and trust between the two defense ministries.
General Lich (R) and Permanent Secretary of the Singaporean Ministry of Defense Chan Yeng Kit. Photo: mod.gov.vn
General Lich held that the outcomes of the bilateral defense ties over the past years have importantly fostered the Vietnam-Singapore Strategic Partnership in an intensive manner.
General Lich confirmed that while he held his position, he would create favorable conditions to deepen the two countries’ defense ties, to bring about practical benefit for each country and to promote solidarity in the ASEAN Community.
Earlier in the day, also at the headquarters of the Ministry of National Defense, Deputy Defense Minister, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh and Permanent Secretary of the Singaporean Ministry of Defense Chan Yeng Kit co-chaired the eighth Vietnam-Singapore Defense Policy Dialogue.
During the dialogue, the two sides exchanged security situations in the Asia-Pacific region, reviewed the outcomes of the two militaries’ cooperation over the past time and reached a consensus on the cooperation orientations for the coming time.
General Vinh and Mr. Chan Yeng Kit said that the bilateral defense cooperation has enjoyed encouraging developments with practical outcomes in several aspects, such as delegation exchange, dialogue and consultation mechanism, training, military medicine, maritime security and search and rescue.
They consented to deepening the defense ties in the time to come to be on par with the two countries’ strategic partnership with a focus on enhancing exchanges of delegations at all levels and maintaining the defense policy dialogue mechanism at deputy-ministerial level, considering such a dialogue a pillar of the defense ties. On this occasion the two armies also discussed strategic issues and cooperative plans.
The two sides reached agreement on strengthening cooperation in training, military medicine, search and rescue and arms and service-level cooperation.
They were unanimous in continuing to support each other at multi-lateral forums, so as to make the cooperative initiatives and contents more effective and to bring into play ASEAN’s central role in the regional security structures.
General Vinh affirmed that Vietnam will closely coordinate with and back Singapore with its ASEAN Chairmanship in 2018.
Translated by Mai Huong