The meeting was held within the framework of the delegation of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence, led by General Phan Van Giang, Politburo member, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of National Defence, accompanying General Secretary and President To Lam on his state visit to Australia.
At the meeting, Gavan Reynolds, Commissioner of the Australian Border Force, lauded the cooperative relationship with the Viet Nam Border Guard and Viet Nam Coast Guard. He expressed his hope that following the meeting, the two sides would accelerate the execution of the cooperation areas set out in the Memorandum of Understanding on Strengthening Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in Border Guarding between the Viet Nam Border Guard and Australian Border Force, and the Memorandum of Understanding on Maritime Law Enforcement Cooperation between the Viet Nam Coast Guard and Australian Border Force.
Expressing gratitude to the Vietnamese side for its attention to promoting cooperation with Australia, particularly the signing of the memoranda of understanding between the Viet Nam Border Guard, Viet Nam Coast Guard, and Australian Border Force, Reynolds expressed his wish for the two sides to exchange and share useful experience in managing both land and maritime borders.
At the meeting, the two sides discussed shared challenges in combating cross-border and organised crime, notably organised drug trafficking, illegal entry and exit, irregular migration, human trafficking, smuggling, and trade fraud. They agreed to committed to bolstering coordination, information exchange, and experience-sharing between the competent forces of the two countries. They also said that effectively addressing emerging challenges in the region requires the joint efforts of different countries, thereby contributing to maintaining security and order along the borders and in the maritime areas of the two countries and throughout the region.
For his part, Lieutenant General Vu Trung Kien said that, in line with the shared understanding reached by the senior leaders of the two countries, border management and immigration cooperation between the Viet Nam Border Guard and Australian Border Force has been consistently fortified, becoming increasingly effective and practical, with notable results in areas including exchanges of delegations at various levels, information sharing, training, and professional development.
To elevate bilateral cooperation in the time ahead, Lieutenant General Vu Trung Kien proposed that the two sides explore formulating an implementation and guidance plan for the memoranda of understanding, focusing on areas including coordination in preventing and combating transnational crime and violations of the law; coordination in preventing and controlling illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities and exchanging information on such activities through information-sharing and the exchange of practical experience; and training and professional development to enhance border-guarding expertise, law-enforcement capabilities, and foreign-language skills among personnel of both sides.
