Vietnam, UK to bolster defense cooperation on par with strategic partnership

PANO - Deputy Defense Minister, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh led a high-ranking Vietnamese defense delegation to pay a visit to the UK from September 5 to 7, at the invitation of Minister of State at the Ministry of Defense of the UK Earl Howe.

The Minister of State at the UK Ministry of Defense highly valued the visit of the high-ranking Vietnamese defense delegation, saying that it would strengthen bilateral friendship between the two peoples and ties between the two armies as well as bring defense ties to a new level.

Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh (left) presenting a souvenir to Minister of State at the Ministry of Defense of the UK Earl Howe

He stressed that the UK always appreciates the role and position of Vietnam in the region and world although the two countries are far in geographical terms. The UK wishes to expand defense ties with Vietnam for the sake of peace, stability and development in the region and world, he affirmed. He also thanked Vietnam for its supporting and sending a delegation to the Summit on UN Peacekeeping Missions hosted by the UK Defense Ministry, and highlighted Vietnam’s participation in the event as a clear demonstration of the country’s active participation and responsibility for the international community.

For his part, the Vietnamese Deputy Defense Minister thanked the host for his cordial reception and passed the Vietnamese Defense Minister’s regards to the Secretary of State for Defense. The guest expressed delight at positive developments in bilateral relations since the two countries established the strategic partnership six years ago. He highlighted the position and credibility of the UK as a permanent member of the Security Council, saying that Vietnam always wishes to boost bilateral relations and all-sided cooperation, including defense one, with the UK. The Vietnamese Deputy Defense Minister affirmed that Vietnam is ready to serve as a bridge connecting the UK to regional countries, especially ASEAN member states.

The two sides then exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern, agreeing that the situation sees complex developments that require countries to join effort in dealing with regional challenges, particularly non-traditional security ones. They also agreed that disputes between countries must be settled by peaceful means and on the basis of international law.

Regarding bilateral defense ties, the two sides recognized good outcomes of defense cooperation under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in November 2011 and thanks to the good performance of the Bilateral Working Group on Defense Cooperation. Outstanding results involve such areas as training and experience sharing in UN peacekeeping mission.

The two sides however noted that the current bilateral defense cooperation is not on a par with the potentials of the two countries and the strategic partnership between Vietnam and the UK. The two sides agreed to study the possibilities to sign an agreement on defense cooperation vision with the aim of bolstering defense relations and cooperation toward efficiency and practical outcomes.

The Vietnamese Deputy Defense Minister delivered the invitation of the Vietnamese Defense Minister to the UK Secretary of State for Defense to visit Vietnam.

The guest suggested the two sides step up cooperation on UN peacekeeping missions, hydrograph and defense industry as well as in sharing views on strategic issues via exchange of defense experts and researchers and a future mechanism of the Defense Policy Dialogue at the Deputy Defense Minister level.

During the visit, Deputy Defense Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh and the Vietnamese defense delegation also paid a call to Under-Secretary of State at the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Alok Sharma. The two sides shared views on international issues of mutual concern. They noted that defense cooperation would contribute to the strategic partnership between the two countries, and lay foundation for the two sides to support each other in multilateral defense in accordance with interests of each side.

The visiting delegation also made working trips to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), the Royal United Service Institute, UK defense industry firms and the Vietnamese Embassy in London.

Reported by Pham Tan