Deputy Minister of National Defence Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien held talks with his Polish counterpart Pawel Bejda, on March 24 in Hanoi as part of the latter's working visit to Vietnam.

During the meeting, Senior Lieutenant General Chien reaffirmed Vietnam’s unwavering foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, and development, as well as its commitment to multilateralizing and diversifying international relations. He also underscored Vietnam’s steadfast national defence policy, which prioritizes resolving disputes through peaceful means in line with international law.

Regarding the East Sea issue, he reiterated Vietnam’s position that relevant parties must adhere to international norms and laws, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

He also called for compliance with the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and an expedited, substantive conclusion of negotiations for a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

Discussing bilateral defence cooperation, Senior Lieutenant General Chien expressed satisfaction with the positive progress achieved under the Vietnam-Poland defence cooperation agreement signed in 2010. He highlighted key areas of co-operation, including delegation exchanges, especially high-level visits, training, UN peacekeeping operations, and defence industry.

He affirmed that the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence is ready to welcome Polish military personnel to study Vietnamese at the Military Science Academy and attend international training courses at the National Defence Academy.

Looking ahead, he proposed that both sides focus on strengthening and refining bilateral defence cooperation frameworks and mechanisms. He also called for continued high-level delegation exchanges to enhance mutual understanding and trust, along with expanded cooperation in training, UN peacekeeping operations, the defence industry, military medicine, and young officer

Chien also thanked Poland for providing scholarships to Vietnamese officers and urged continued Polish support for defence cooperation between Vietnam and the European Union (EU) under existing agreements. Additionally, he expressed hope that Poland would advocate for the EU to lift its “yellow card” warning on Vietnamese seafood exports.

For his part, Deputy Minister Bejda said he is pleased to visit Vietnam in his capacity as Deputy Minister of National Defence and a member of the Polish Parliament, while emphasizing that Vietnam is Poland’s key partner in Southeast Asia. He reaffirmed Poland’s desire to ramp up cooperation with Vietnam not only in economic matters but also in defence, particularly in the areas of defence industry, training, and UN peacekeeping operations.

Bejda voiced his hope that this meeting would further enhance bilateral defence cooperation, delivering practical benefits to both nations.

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