(Bqp.vn) - On December 17, Defence Minister General Phan Van Giang held talks with his Belarusian counterpart Lieutenant General Khrenin Viktor Gennadievich who is leading a high-level delegation of the Belarusian Ministry of Defence to pay an official visit to Vietnam and attend the Vietnam International Defence Expo 2024. The talks took place after an official welcome ceremony hosted by General Phan Van Giang for the Belarusian Minister of Defence and the delegation of the Belarusian Ministry of Defence.
Defence Minister Phan Van Giang welcoming his Belarusian counterpart Khrenin Viktor Gennadievich.
The two defence ministers inspecting the Guard of Honor of the Vietnam People’s Army.
Defence Minister Phan Van Giang introducing the Vietnamese high-ranking military officers to the guest.
Belarusian Defence Minister Khrenin Viktor Gennadievich introducing the members of the Belarusian delegation to the host.
The two delegations in a joint photo.
Speaking at the talks, Defence Minister Phan Van Giang emphasized that the Vietnamese people and the Vietnam People’s Army always remember and value the significant support and assistance that people of the Soviet Union, including the Republic of Belarus, had given to Vietnam in the past struggle for national liberation and reunification.
Highlighting the effectiveness of Vietnam - Belarus defence cooperation in recent times, he noted that this collaboration aligns with the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries as well as international treaties and agreements that they have signed. He proposed that the two sides would continue to coordinate to effectively implement agreed-upon cooperative contents, particularly high-level delegation exchanges; military medical training; military history research; military communications and participation in multilateral international events hosted by each side.
During the talks.
Defence Minister Phan Van Giang asked the Belarussian Ministry of Defence to consider offering additional scholarships to Vietnamese military personnel to study at Belarusian defence training institutions. He affirmed that Vietnam is ready to welcome Belarusian military personnel to take Vietnamese language courses at the Military Science Academy and defence official training programmes at the National Defence Academy, aiming to make bilateral defence cooperation more substantive and effective.
Defence Minister Phan Van Giang speaking at the talks.
Regarding sea-related issues, Defence Minister Phan Van Giang emphasized Vietnam’s consistent stance of addressing disputes by peaceful means, on the basis of international law, including UNCLOS 1982, fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (South China Sea) and soon finalizing the signing of a substantive, effective and legally-binding Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).
For his part, Defence Minister Khrenin Viktor Gennadievich affirmed that the Belarusian Ministry of Defence would closely coordinate with its Vietnamese side to effectively implement the agreed initiatives, further enhancing the Belarus - Vietnam relationship.
Defence Minister Khrenin Viktor Gennadievich speking at the talks.
He took the occasion to extend an invitation to Defence Minister Phan Van Giang to pay an official visit to Belarus and attend the Belarus International Defence Expo 2025.
The two defence ministers signing cooperation agreements.
Defence Minister Khrenin Viktor Gennadievich writing down his impressions at the Headquarters of the Ministry of National Defence of Vietnam.
At the end of the talks, the two defence ministers signed some cooperation agreements.
