During the event, General Vinh affirmed that the two sides’ signing of the participation framework agreement (FPA) on Vietnam’s engagement in the EU’s crisis management operations has created a favorable foundation for the two sides to continue enhancing defense ties. On the basis of the FPA, the EU has chosen Vietnam to pilot the “Enhanced EU Security Cooperation in and with Asia” strategy. For its part, the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense has also promoted its defense cooperation with the EU to a pillar in the Vietnam-EU Framework Agreement on Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation.
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Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh at the event |
On this occasion, General Vinh passed along greetings and an invitation to visit Vietnam from Vietnamese Minister of National Defense General Ngo Xuan Lich to General Claudio Graziano, and his invitation to the leadership of the European External Action Service (EEAS) to visit and co-chair the Vietnam-EU Defense and Security Dialogue.
The deputy defense minister stressed that the Vietnamese defense ministry always attaches importance to defense ties with the EU, and suggested that both sides bolster collaboration in military medicine to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as in coping with non-traditional security threats. He noted that Vietnam and the EU should actively prepare for the implementation of the FPA-based cooperation agreements soon after the COVID-19 pandemic is contained.
For his part, General Claudio Graziano voiced his support for Vietnam’s ASEAN Chairmanship this year and its non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 term. He hoped that Vietnam will continue strengthening ASEAN’s central role in regional arrangements, thus contributing to regional security and peace. He alsgooo affirmed that the two sides’ goodwill and cooperation demand are the foundation for them to strengthen defense ties in many areas within the FPA framework, including personnel training, U.N. peacekeeping operations and maritime security.
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Scene of the teleconference |
During the conference, both sides agreed that the bilateral cooperation has huge potential, especially in delegation exchange, defense-security dialogue, training, settlement of war aftermath, U.N. peacekeeping operations and strategic research. In particular, the two sides will pay much attention to implementing the FPA and sending Vietnamese defense officers to take part in lecturing activities at some peacekeeping training centers of the EU in the Central African Republic in the time to come.
Also at the talks, the two officials agreed to organize more online discussions at different levels in the future to carry out the contents agreed at the event.
Translated by Trung Thanh