Viet Nam, Indonesia vow to strengthen defense cooperation

The meeting was part of Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien's visit to Indonesia to attend the ASEAN Defence Senior Officials Meeting (ADSOM) and ADSOM Plus (ADSOM+).

At the meeting, the two sides affirmed the excellent friendship between Viet Nam and Indonesia,

Specifically, the signing of an agreement on the boundaries of exclusive economic zones between Viet Nam and Indonesia in December 2022 was a milestone in the bilateral ties as it creates a foundation for the two countries to step up cooperation between their forces at sea, including naval forces and coast guards.

Both sides noted progress in the bilateral deffense collaboration, particularly in all-level delegation exchange, implementing the defence policy dialogue mechanism at the deputy ministerial level, cooperation between naval forces and coast guards, and personnel training.

Hoang suggested the two sides maintain their coordination in preparation for the upcoming official visit to Indonesia by the Vietnamese Minister of National Defense and his attendance at the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM) and ADMM Plus, as well as for the defense policy dialogue at the deputy ministerial level slated for October in Viet Nam.

The sides also agreed the two countries should maintain and enhance cooperation in the existing areas while expanding it to new fields with potential and need, like the defense industry, military medicine, and training, and soon reach an agreement on joining patrol to intensify cooperation between their naval forces.

Notably, Hoang affirmed the support of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense to its Indonesian counterpart as ASEAN Chair 2023, saying that the successful organization of military-defense meetings this year would contribute to enhancing the solidarity, unity, and centrality of ASEAN.

The Head of the Indonesian delegation thanked the Vietnamese ministry for its support and active participation in the events organized by the Indonesian ministry and Indonesia's initiatives this year./.