Vietnam, Indonesia hold 2nd defence policy dialogue

Vietnam and Indonesia held the 2nd defence policy dialogue virtually on October 14 to discuss plans and orientations to further strengthen defence ties.

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien (Photo: VNA)
Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien (Photo: VNA)

The event was co-chaired by Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien, and Lieut. Gen. Donny Ermawan Taufanto, Secretary General of the Indonesian Ministry of Defence.

The two sides highly valued the results of the 4th meeting of the joint working group on military-defence cooperation on September 29, 2021 and the 2nd meeting on defence industry cooperation on September 30, 2021.

Participants affirmed that despite complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, the bilateral defence cooperation in the past time has continued to be maintained and deployed flexibly, recording positive results. The two sides have effectively maintained the mechanism of the joint working group on cooperation in training, and closely coordinated and consulted each other at multilateral mechanisms and events.

They also discussed the role played by their armies in preventing and controlling COVID-19, and introduced the National Defence White Paper of the two countries, and exchanged views on regional and international issues of common concern.

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien (R), and Lieut. Gen. Donny Ermawan Taufanto, Secretary General of the Indonesian Ministry of Defence (Photo: qdnd.vn)

Regarding the East Sea/South China Sea issue, the two sides emphasised the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, freedom of navigation and aviation, and peacefully settling disputes on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The two sides agreed to continue effectively and flexibly implementing cooperation programmes, focusing on the areas of training, and exchange of delegations, especially high-level delegations.

They will also step up cooperation in defence industry and among armed services and arms; and technical cooperation between the coast guard forces, the air defence-air forces, and the military medical forces of the two countries in the fight against COVID-19.