Vietnam, Russia hold defence strategy dialogue

(Bqp.vn) - Deputy Defence Minister Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien and his Russian counterpart Senior Lieutenant General Alexander Fomin co-chaired the 7th Vietnam - Russia Defence Strategy Dialogue on December 26 in Hanoi.

Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien speaking at the event.

During the dialogue, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien highly appreciated the important role of defence cooperation in the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia. He praised the positive outcomes in cooperation between the two defence ministries since the 6th dialogue held in July 2023, including high-level delegation exchanges; effective maintenance of existing cooperation mechanisms; personnel training; joint scientific research under the Vietnam - Russia Tropical Centre; participation in multilateral activities organised by each ministry and coordination at international and multilateral defence forums.

Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien suggested both sides continue to enhance the effectiveness of bilateral defence cooperation, focusing on delegation exchange at all levels, promoting the effectiveness of important cooperation mechanisms such as the Intergovernmental Coordination Committee on the Vietnam - Russia Tropical Centre, defence strategy dialogue, etc.

He expressed his hope that the results of the dialogue would give extra impetus to the two defence ministries to implement increasingly substantive, effective and practical defence cooperation.

Senior Lieutenant General Alexander Fomin speaking the dialogue.

For his part, Senior Lieutenant General Alexander Fomin spoke highly of the positive results of defence cooperation between the two ministries, emphasising that defence cooperation is a pillar of Vietnam - Russia diplomatic relations. Noting that the year 2025 will mark the 75th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic relations and the 80th anniversary of the Great Patriotic Victory of the Soviet people, to which Vietnamese friends had made contributions, he emphasised the close-knit friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation between the defence ministries of the two countries. The Russian Ministry of Defence will continue to actively coordinate with its Vietnamese counterpart to implement agreed work, thereby deepening Vietnam - Russia defence links in an effective and substantive manner, he added.

During the dialogue.

At the dialogue, the two sides shared their views on the world and regional situation of mutual concern. Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien emphasized that Vietnam consistently pursues a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, development, multilateralization and diversification of foreign relations. He affirmed that Vietnam is ready to cooperate with countries and international organizations for peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world; and persistently struggles to resolve all disputes and disagreements by peaceful means on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The two sides signing cooperation documents.

At the end of the dialogue, the two sides signed two documents which serve as a foundation for both defence ministries to realise cooperation contents in the time to come.