Foreign Relations and Defence Cooperation

(Bqp.vn) - As a country actively integrating into the international community, Vietnam consistently realizes the foreign guideline of independence, self-reliance, cooperation and development with a foreign policy of openness, multilateralization and diversification along the principle that Vietnam wishes to be a friend and credible partner of all nations in the international community.

Defence diplomacy is part of the State’s diplomacy. The goal of defence diplomacy is to establish and develop defence relations with all countries based on equality, and mutual respect that contribute to the cause of building the country, building the armed forces, consolidating national defence and security, safeguarding the Homeland, and making contributions to the maintenance of regional and world peace and security.

In an increasingly interdependent world, Vietnam’s security is inseparable from the world’s security in general and regional security in particular. Defence cooperation is one of the most important factors for maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world as well, and it is also an important factor for achieving Vietnam’s defence goals. Therefore, Vietnam advocates expanding defence diplomacy and actively participating in defence and security cooperation in the regional and international community.

The VPA advocates effectively broadening and heightening bilateral defence relations while actively participating in multilateral defence cooperation. Vietnam intensifies all forms of defence diplomacy such as exchange of military delegations at all levels, defence consultancy and dialogue, participation in regional and international fora to reinforce the friendship, mutual understanding, confidence building, and conflict prevention.

Vietnam wishes to widen bilateral defence relations with all countries. The priorities in Vietnam’s defence relations with other countries are exchange of military delegations, information and experience sharing, cooperation in training and education, and solving humanitarian issues. Vietnam has so far established official defence relations with 65 countries, including major powers in the world; and set up its defence attaché offices in 31 countries. 42 countries have opened their defence attaché offices in Vietnam.

Vietnam promotes its defence cooperation with other ASEAN member countries within the framework of building the ASEAN Political-Security Community and in accordance with its bilateral relations with each country along the line of enhancing information and experience sharing, reinforcing cooperation in training and education, and co-ordinating to solve security issues of common concern.

Vietnam attaches importance to expanding defence dialogues with relevant countries, enabling all parties to grasp each other’s viewpoints, creating the opportunity for solving issues relating to the interests of all parties. Vietnam has conducted frequent defence dialogues at various levels with other ASEAN member countries, and the other countries such as China, Russia, the United States, Japan, France, India and so on. Together with increasing exchange of high-level military delegations, Vietnam also attaches importance to exchange of young military officers, cooperation between research and educational institutions of Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defence with other countries. Vietnam has welcomed 46 ship visits, including 81 port calls, over 18,000 turns of naval officers and crew from other countries to Hai Phong, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City. In 2008, for the first time, Vietnam sent naval vessels abroad for friendly visits.

Due to historical, geographical conditions and deeper economic integration into the region and the world, many of Vietnam’s defence-security issues have become increasingly intertwined with those of neighbouring countries. Hence, along with exchange of military delegations, cooperation in training and education and so on with all countries, Vietnam prioritized cooperation with neighbouring countries to solve bilateral defence-security issues. Vietnam has completed the land-border demarcation work and landmark planting with China; conducted the border demarcation and landmark planting in some important border areas and reached agreement on completing border demarcation and landmark planting with Cambodia by 2012; completed the demarcation work and has increased the density of border landmarks with Laos. Vietnam intensified the co-ordination in patrolling and controlling border areas between Vietnam’s border guard forces and the border guard and security forces of other countries to strictly implement international agreements on border, border guard cooperation agreements on combating crimes such as trans-border smuggling, illegal migration, women, children and drugs trafficking, and so on for the sake of building a border of peace and friendship. Vietnam has strived to solve the maritime boundary issues, and to expand cooperation with other countries to ensure maritime security. Vietnam’s Navy has set up hotlines and conducted joint patrols with the naval forces of Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and China in order to improve the effectiveness of coordination in maintaining security in overlapping zones and bordering areas at sea.

Establishing and maintaining the relations between Vietnam’s General Department of Defence Intelligence and other countries' military intelligence agencies is an important channel for sharing information on defence-security issues.

Vietnam highly values and actively participates in multilateral cooperation on security issues through international and regional organizations and fora such as the UN, ASEAN, ARF, and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)…

As a UN official member since 1977, Vietnam has strictly accomplished its duties and at the same time, actively and responsibly participated in solving international security issues. During its term as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (2008-2009), Vietnam has consulted opinions from non-aligned countries, closely coordinated with other member states of the Security Council in the process of making decisions on international security issues in conformity with the principles of the United Nations Charter.

Vietnam greatly appreciates the role of the UN and regards the peace-keeping operations (PKO) as an important function of the UN. To better fulfil this function, UN PKO must abide by the principle of respecting independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries; ensure impartiality; and only be carried out with the acceptance of parties concerned. Vietnam is accomplishing its preparations for effectively participating in UN PKO, in conformity with its capability and conditions. Vietnam’s relevant agencies are actively studying experience of other countries, and preparing its personnel with sufficient professional skills, foreign language proficiency and knowledge of international laws to participate effectively in UN PKO.

Prompted by the policy of proactively supporting and contributing to the common efforts of the international community for peace, security and disarmament, Vietnam actively participates in international efforts to prevent and repulse dangers of wars as well as to overcome the consequences caused by armed conflicts and wars. Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries have signed the Treaty on the South East Asia Nuclear Weapons Free Zone (SEANWFZ). Vietnam calls upon nuclear powers to participate in the Protocol of the Treaty in order to turn Southeast Asia into a permanent nuclear weapons free zone. In accordance with the consistent policy of supporting and actively contributing to the common efforts of the international community for disarmament, Vietnam welcomes the initiatives on preventing the development, manufacturing, storage and use of WMD. At the same time, Vietnam holds that all countries have the right to research, develop, and transfer nuclear, chemical, and biological technologies for the sake of peace as regulated by international laws. Vietnam has taken part in and strictly observed many conventions, agreements, and protocols on non-proliferation of WMD and other international conventions on disarmament. Vietnam is seriously considering international conventions and treaties on defence-security issues, and actively preparing necessary conditions for fully implementing the duties required.

Vietnam is willing to cooperate with the countries in the region and the world in an effort to solve non-traditional security issues. To improve the effectiveness of cooperation in this field, Vietnam advocates expanding and enhancing cooperation both bilaterally and multilaterally, such as sharing information and experience; setting up a coordination mechanism with the relevant organizations of other countries to prevent, cope with and settle the related non-traditional security issues. Vietnam’s functional agencies are preparing capabilities of personnel and technical equipment in order to participate in multilateral search and rescue exercises in the East Sea, first and foremost with neighbouring and regional countries.

Vietnam considers as important the strengthening of defence cooperation with ASEAN countries on the basis of defence-security cooperation mechanisms in the process of building the ASEAN Community. These mechanisms are established on the basis of the principles of “consensus”, “non-interference in each other’s internal affairs”, “not changing the ASEAN Community into a military alliance or mutual defence bloc,” and other fundamental principles of the ASEAN Charter. Vietnam greatly appreciates and actively participates in ASEAN Defence Minister Meetings (ADMM) and other senior defence officials meetings, and supports initiatives that enhance cooperation among ASEAN militaries to settle common security issues. In this spirit, Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defence has proactively taken part in multilateral defence cooperation mechanisms with ASEAN countries by participating in ASEAN defence meetings at all levels, exchanging experience in defence building, fighting against trans-national crimes and terrorism, participating in such humanitarian operations as natural disaster relief and prevention, and sending observers to military exercises of regional countries. In 2010, as an ASEAN Chairman, Vietnam will closely coordinate with the other member states to successfully organize meetings and activities in order to enhance the defence cooperation relations among ASEAN countries. Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defence also supports and plays an active role in efforts of expanding defence-security cooperation relations with non-ASEAN partners with a view to maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world.