During the meeting, participants reviewed the achievements in cooperation between the RoK and ASEAN over the past 30 years. They also discussed the vision for defense cooperation in the future.
The RoK Deputy Defense Minister Park Jae-min emphasized that the RoK always regards the partnership with ASEAN as a top priority in its foreign policy on the basis of respecting the principle of consensus and the central role of ASEAN. The two sides have continuously expanded cooperation for common interests as well as coordinated to respond to traditional and non-traditional security challenges.
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Delegates in a group photo at the meeting |
He said that the RoK wants to promote more cooperation with ASEAN through group meetings at the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM+) on maritime security, anti-terrorism, and military medicine. He also emphasized the significance and the need to establish ASEAN-RoK relations in cyber security.
At the meeting, ASEAN nations’ representatives welcomed and spoke highly of the outcomes in ASEAN-RoK defense cooperation and expressed their hope that the relations will be developed in an effective and practical manner, so as to contribute to regional peace and stability.
Sharing the same view as other delegates, General Vinh affirmed that the ASEAN-RoK Deputy Defense Ministers’ Meeting is a channel for countries to not only exchange their policies, but also discuss plan to realize cooperation fields. He suggested that the RoK should pay more attention to key sectors, including maritime security and peacekeeping operations. The Vietnamese Deputy Defense Minister emphasized Vietnam’s support for the RoK-ASEAN comprehensive defense cooperation.
General Vinh also affirmed the urgency to strengthen international cooperation in cyber security, as all countries around the world are facing increasingly complicated challenges in ensuring cyber security. He hoped that as a country with advanced science and technology, the RoK will join ASEAN’s efforts in dealing with challenges in this field, saying that as an ASEAN Chair in 2020, Vietnam will prioritize strengthening cooperation in cyber security among ASEAN member nations as well as ASEAN with its partners, including the RoK. The Vietnamese representative also stressed that Vietnam is ready to work with other ASEAN members and the RoK to bring practical results to ASEAN, the RoK, and the international community.
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Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh meets with Chan Yeng Kit |
On the same day, General Vinh had a bilateral meeting with the Permanent Secretary of the Singaporean Ministry of Defense Chan Yeng Kit. At the meeting, the two sides expressed delight at the fruitful development of bilateral defense cooperation over the past time. General Vinh thanked the Singaporean Defense Ministry for assisting Vietnam in training its personnel.
For his part, Chan Yeng Kit affirmed that the Singaporean Defense Ministry will do whatever it can to support the Vietnamese Defense Ministry in hosting the military and defense conference when the country assumes the ASEAN Chairmanship next year.
The Vietnamese Deputy Defense Minister and the Permanent Secretary of the Singaporean Ministry of Defense agreed not to let disputes among powers affect the solidarity among ASEAN nations.
Translated by Tran Hoai