Vietnam, India enhance defence ties

The Vietnamese Government, people and army always attach importance to comprehensively and practically developing relations with India, a senior Vietnamese officer has said.

Sen. Lieut. Gen. Phan Van Giang, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) and Deputy Minister of National Defence, made the statement at a reception for Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Pranay Verma in Hanoi on November 15.

Sen. Lieut. Gen. Giang highlighted the development of defence cooperation between the two nations in recent years, saying that the two sides have maintained visits and meetings of senior military leaders.

They have also effectively implemented annual cooperation mechanisms, while paying heed to promoting ties in border security, training, defence industry, UN peacekeeping operation, and strategic research, the host said.

Vietnam wants and is willing to continue strengthening friendship and comprehensive cooperation for mutual benefit with India in all areas, he stressed.

Vietnam will undertake its role as ASEAN Chair in 2020, he said, adding that the Vietnamese Defence Ministry will host numerous military and defence meetings, including the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM) and the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM+). He wished India would actively participate in and support Vietnam.

For his part, Ambassador Verma agreed with the host’s proposal, while expressing his impression on the country and people of Vietnam.

He affirmed that during his term in Vietnam, he will do his utmost to promote cooperation between the two nations, including collaboration in defence.