The Lao Minister emphasized that the annual meeting of the Defense Ministers of the three countries is a symbol of the solidarity and friendship among Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia.
According to him, the three nations share common borders and a common destiny. Their peoples have a long-standing tradition of mutual assistance and standing shoulder-to-shoulder in the fight against common enemies. He emphasized that regardless of time, space, or circumstances, the three countries are inseparable. Therefore, the three militaries must be a core force in building, preserving, protecting, and developing the precious friendship and solidarity among the three countries.
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An overview of the meeting |
For his part, the Cambodian defense chief reaffirmed Cambodia’s firm commitment to fostering the traditional friendship and good neighborliness for the common benefit of the three peoples. He highly appreciated the effective cooperation among the three militaries based on mutual respect and trust, contributing to maintaining peace, stability, and prosperity along the shared borders and to building the ASEAN Community.
In his speech, General Phan Van Giang underscored that Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia are close neighbors, whose historical and natural conditions have forged strong and enduring bonds, enabling them to support and complement one another for mutual survival, development, and defense. The three countries were once under the leadership of the Indochinese Communist Party during the struggles against colonialists and imperialists for national independence.
The Vietnamese Minister noted that solidarity is a precious tradition of the three nations and reality has demonstrated that strengthening the solidarity and bonds among the three countries and their militaries is an objective necessity, a vital rule, and a key factor in ensuring peace, stability, and development for each nation.
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Vietnamese Minister of National Defense General Phan Van Giang |
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Lao Minister of National Defense Sr. Lt. Gen. Khamliang Outhakaysone |
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Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense of Cambodia Gen. Tea Seiha |
Vietnam always gives top priority to reinforcing its trustworthy and close relationship with Laos and Cambodia, and deeply treasures the sincere and wholehearted support and assistance from the two countries during the past struggle for national liberation and reunification and the ongoing national construction and defense cause, Gen. Giang stated.
At the meeting, the three Ministers shared the view that amidst the current complex regional and global developments, all three countries have maintained political stability and continued to achieve significant results in socio-economic development, defense, and security. In addition, the trilateral cooperation has been further strengthened, with defense and security cooperation always being an important pillar in the overall relationship among the three nations.
They underlined the three Ministries’ close coordination in effectively realizing the common perceptions reached by the countries’ senior leaders. They highlighted the timely exchange of information, effective suggestions on military and defense issues, and close and effective coordination among border protection forces, contributing to maintaining peaceful, stable, and cooperative borders, thus laying a solid foundation for economic development and trade. The three sides have also placed great emphasis on education and dissemination efforts among their armed forces and peoples, especially the young generation, on the historical significance and value of preserving and promoting the trilateral solidarity.
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The three defense chief sign the minutes of the meeting. |
To further deepen defense cooperation in the coming time, the Ministers agreed on five key directions.
First, they will continue to consolidate and strengthen the solidarity and bond among the three countries and their militaries; uphold the persistent stance of not allowing any hostile forces to use one country’s territory to harm the interests of another; maintain annual ministerial meetings and regular exchanges among defense leaders, while enhancing information sharing and strategic consultation on military and defense matters.
Second, cooperation in border management and protection will be enhanced, thus building borders of peace, friendship, cooperation, and sustainable development while regularly sharing information, promptly detecting and jointly resolving arising issues at the grassroots level.
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Delegates in a group photo |
Third, continued improvement will be placed on coordination capacity in responding to non-traditional security challenges through experience sharing and joint exercises on disease prevention, disaster relief, search and rescue, and transnational crime prevention.
Fourth, promotion will be made in education and dissemination efforts within the armed forces and among the peoples, particularly the young generation, on the historical truths, significance, and importance of the trilateral solidarity to the destiny of each nation.
Fifth, close coordination and common stances will be maintained at multilateral and regional forums and mechanisms, especially within ASEAN-led mechanisms such as the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and the ADMM-Plus, while jointly upholding ASEAN’s solidarity and centrality in addressing international issues.
Translated by Mai Huong