At a reception for the Lao delegation, Deputy Defence Minister Tran Don suggested the two sides organize regular meetings to exchange expertise, thus giving valuable consultations to the two countries’ defence ministries in military finance and practically contributing to further boosting bond between the two armies.Deputy Defence Minister Lieutenant General Tran Don said he was pleased with the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Department of Finance under the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence and its Lao counterpart on enhancing their cooperation in 2016.
Deputy Defence Minister Lt. Gen.Tran Don received the delegation from the Planning and Finance Department of the Lao Defence Ministry
|
On the same day, Senior Lieutenant General Vo Van Tuan, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army greeted Rear Admiral Keith Smith, Director of the Joint Interagency Task Force West (JIATF West) of the US, who is on a working visit to Vietnam.
Sen. Lt. Gen. Tuan highlighted efforts jointly made by the two sides to realise an MoU on promoting bilateral defence cooperation agreed by the two nations’ defence ministries, and the US - Vietnam Joint Vision Statement on Defence Relations .
He pointed out the great potential for the Vietnam Border Guard High Command and the JIATF West to bolster links, especially in preventing cross-border drug crime. The Ministry of Defence and the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army always support and create favourable conditions for the two sides to promote cooperation in the future, Tuan stated.
Regarding the joint vision statement on Vietnam-US defence relations, Mr. Tuan reported that the statement aims to enhance friendship and mutual trust and understanding between the two countries and deepen their comprehensive partnership for peace and stability in the Southeast Asian and Asian Pacific regions.
They include the establishment of a regular high-ranking dialogue mechanism between the US Department of Defence and the Vietnamese Defence Ministry, sea security, search and rescue, studying and exchanging experience in the United Nations peace keeping activities, and humanitarian aid and disaster relief.
