Vietnam and Belarus foster defense cooperation

During the talks, General Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defense of Vietnam, welcomed the visit of Lieutenant General Viktor Gennadievich Khrenin, Minister of Defense of Belarus, which he said would strengthen defense cooperation, thereby consolidating and further developing the traditional friendship and partnership between the two countries.

He emphasized that the people and the Vietnam People’s Army always remember and deeply appreciate the significant support and assistance from the former Soviet Union, including the Republic of Belarus, during Vietnam’s past struggle for national liberation and reunification.

He noted that bilateral defense cooperation has been deployed effectively over recent years, in line with the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries, as well as international treaties and agreements that have been signed, yielding positive outcomes.

He expressed hope that the two sides would continue to cooperate and effectively implement the agreed initiatives, focusing on delegation exchanges, cooperation in military medical training, military history, military communication, and mutual support for participating in multilateral international events hosted by each side.

General Giang also proposed that the Belarussian Ministry of Defense consider offering additional scholarships to Vietnamese military personnel at Belarusian defense training institutions.

He affirmed Vietnam’s readiness to welcome Belarusian military personnel to Vietnamese language courses at the Military Science Academy and defense official training programs at the National Defense Academy, aiming to make bilateral defense cooperation more substantive and effective.

Lieut. Gen. Khrenin for his part acknowledged Gen. Giang’s proposals and affirmed that the Belarusian Ministry of Defense would closely coordinate with its Vietnamese counterpart to effectively implement the agreed initiatives, further enhancing the Belarus-Vietnam relationship.

During the talks, both sides also discussed regional and global issues of mutual concern. On maritime issues, Gen. Giang reaffirmed Vietnam’s consistent stance on resolving disputes through peaceful means, based on international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

He also emphasized the need to fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and expedite the conclusion of a substantive, effective Code of Conduct in the regional waters (COC) in line with international law.

Lieut. Gen. Khrenin took the occasion to extend a formal invitation to Gen. Giang to visit Belarus and attend the Belarus Minsk Defense Fair in 2025.