Vietnam aspires to boost defence ties with Philippines and Singapore
VOV.VN - Sen. Lieut. Gen. Phan Van Giang, vice secretary of the Central Military Commission and Defence Minister, held separate receptions for the Ambassador of the Philippines to Vietnam Meynardo Los Banos Montealegre and the Ambassador of Singapore Jaya Ratnam.
Gen. Giang congratulated the pair on their recent appointment to the post of Ambassador, thanking both the Philippines and Singapore for their support for the country in its role as ASEAN Chair 2020.
He therefore expressed his belief that through their respective positions, the two diplomats will be successful in fulfilling their assigned tasks as a way of contributing to further promoting the strategic partnership between the country and the two Southeast Asian nations.
Upon receiving the Filipino Ambassador, Gen. Giang and his guest expressed their great appreciation for the outcomes of the implementation of the Defence Cooperation Agreement between both defense ministries, especially as bilateral defence ties between the two sides has been strengthened. Indeed, practical results have been achieved across multiple fields, such as delegation exchange, dialogue consultation, training, and co-operation within the multilateral framework.
Amid complicated developments relating to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the two sides agreed to promote a number of appropriate activities online. This includes organising defence policy dialogues, meetings of the Joint Working Group on defence co-operation, bilateral consultations among navy and air forces, co-operation in COVID-19 prevention and control, and support in handling issues relating to fishermen of the two countries in a humanitarian spirit.
During the reception for the Singaporean Ambassador, both sides affirmed the results of the implementation of the Agreement on Bilateral Defence Cooperation, including delegation exchanges at all levels, the exchange of young officers, and naval and military medicine co-operation. Therefore, both sides consented to accelerate the organisation of a number of appropriate activities through an online format, such as defence policy dialogues at a deputy ministerial level and meetings of the Joint Working Group on bilateral defense co-operation. This is alongside the Navy Joint Working Group and Channel 1.5 Security Dialogue and co-operation in COVID-19 prevention and control.
Both sides also agreed to continue finalising procedures and to sign a bilateral defence co-operation agreement between both governments this year which will replace the Agreement on Bilateral Defence Cooperation, first signed in 2009.
This will serve to contribute to strengthening intra-regional solidarity and elevating ASEAN's position among the region and the wider world.