Vietnam – Germany defence ties enter new period: defence attaché
Vietnam – Germany defence relations have entered a new phase, marked by expanded military cooperation, said Vietnamese Defence Attaché to Germany Colonel Nguyen Tuan Minh.
He made the affirmation at a recent ceremony to celebrate the 80th founding anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army and the 35th anniversary of the All-People Defence Festival (December 22).
Highlighting the significant changes in the bilateral defence relations over the past two years, Minh stated that the partnership has evolved beyond basic training assistance to encompass broader military and defence collaboration, following the signing of a cooperation deal during German Chancellor Olaf Scholz's visit to Vietnam in November 2022.
Key development steps in the partnership include regular exchanges between security and defence policy experts to build mutual understanding and trust, cooperation in UN peacekeeping operations, with Germany providing financial support and training for Vietnamese soldiers, and strengthened collaboration in military law building, military medicine, and search and rescue work.
Director General for Security and Defence Policy at the German Federal Ministry of Defence Mirko Freitag, for his part, highlighted Vietnam's crucial role as an ASEAN member and its significant voice at multilateral forums. Germany will continue to support Vietnam in the peaceful settlement of disputes in accordance with international law.
The Southeast Asian country has been an important partner of Germany in the UN peacekeeping framework, he stressed, adding the two nations should work together to contribute to the global security and peace.
Looking ahead to the 50th founding anniversary of diplomatic relations in 2025, the Vietnamese Defence Attaché Office will promote high-level delegation exchanges between the two defence ministries, including visits at the deputy minister and ministerial levels. The office also aims to promote the signing of Memoranda of Understanding in such areas as peacekeeping operations, military law, civil defence, search and rescue operations, and disaster prevention.
Vietnamese Ambassador Vu Quang Minh told the Vietnam News Agency (VNA)'s resident reporters in Berline that since its establishment, the Defense Attaché Office has made significant contributions to the defence cooperation between the two countries. Over the past five years, the office has catalysed transformative changes, bringing the bilateral defence cooperation to a new height./
