It was among the plans that the two countries outlined for their defence cooperation from 2018 – 2020, as Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Defence Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh and New Zealand Secretary of Defence Helene Quilter co-chaired the third Vietnam-New Zealand Defence Policy Dialogue, in Wellington, on November 7.
Welcoming Vinh, Quilter said that the visit will strengthen the comprehensive partnership between the two countries, as well as their defence ties, with a vision towards a strategic partnership in the time ahead.
New Zealand highly values Vietnam’s role in the region and wants to join together with Vietnam to contribute to peace, stability and development in the region, the secretary of defence noted.
Vinh, for his part, affirmed that Vietnam always treasures its defence cooperation with New Zealand, saying that, despite their geographical distance, the two countries’ partnership has proved to be effective, benefiting their people and national development.
The two officials exchanged views on several issues of mutual interest, including counterterrorism, maritime security and the role play by regional powers.
They also agreed to continue the exchange of high-ranking delegations and exchanges between research institutes; maintain consultation and dialogue mechanisms; and foster cooperation in training.
Vinh later met with New Zealand Defence Minister Ron Mark who said that he highly appreciated the outcomes of the bilateral defence cooperation in recent years.
During his visit to New Zealand from November 5-7, Vinh and the Chief of the New Zealand Defence Force Lt Gen Tim Keating signed an agreement on cooperation in peacekeeping training between the two countries.
