Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense, IISS strengthen ties

(Bqp.vn) - Deputy Defense Minister Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien hosted a reception for James Crabtree, Executive Director of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)-Asia on September 13.

At the reception.

At the reception, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien thanked the IISS for its consideration for the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense over the past years and congratulated Mr. James Crabtree on the appointment as the Executive Director of the IISS-Asia. He confirmed that the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense always treasures the IISS’s role in general and the role and position of the Shangri-La Dialogue organized by the IISS-Asia in particular. Since the first Shangri-La Dialogue held in 2002, the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense has sent delegations to the event. Most recently, the Vietnamese high-ranking military delegation, led by its defense minister, participated in the 19th Shangri-La held in June 2022. Speaking highly of the status and research works of the IISS, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien stressed that the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense is willing to welcome IISS’s leaders and experts to Vietnam during which the guests could share viewpoints and experience with the host’s defense research agencies.

For his part, Mr. James Crabtree emphasized the role and participation of Vietnam in forums and dialogues held by IISS-Asia, including Shangri-La Dialogue. He highly appreciated Defense Minister General Phan Van Giang’s speech delivered at the 19th Shangri-La Dialogue and confirmed that it made clear issues and viewpoints in the Vietnam’s Defense White Paper in 2019.