UK eyes stronger defence links with Vietnam

London, (VNA) – The UK appreciates Vietnam’s role and position in the region and wishes to promote defence ties with the Southeast Asian country, Minister of State for the Defence Ministry of the UK Earl Howe told Vietnamese Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh.

In a meeting in London with Vinh, who paid a working visit to the UK from September 5-7, Earl Howe said the visit will contribute to strengthening friendship between the two armies and people, and further deepening the bilateral defence link.

He thanked Vietnam for supporting and participating in the UN Peace Keeping Summit held by the British Ministry of Defence, affirming that this showed Vietnam’s active and responsible contributions to international community.

For his part, Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh highlighted the development of the relations between Vietnam and the UK since the two sides upgraded their ties to a Strategic Partnership six years ago.

He said Vietnam wants to develop comprehensive cooperation, including defence relations,with the UK, and suggested the UK consider cooperation with Vietnam in overcoming consequences of war which is currently a priority of Vietnam.

Vietnam is willing to serve as a bridge connecting the European country with regional nations, especially ASEAN member states, the deputy minister affirmed.

The two sides recognised fruitful cooperation in training and UN peacekeeping operations, while noting that the affiliation has yet to match the potential, especially in the context of their Strategic Partnership.

They agreed to further step up cooperation, and work together towards signing an agreement on vision for defence cooperation. The two sides will also continue enhancing exchange of visits and experience sharing in joining UN peacekeeping operations.

Host and guest discussed collaboration in hydrography and defence industry, and considered the establishment of a defence policy dialogue mechanism at Deputy Defence Ministerial level between the two countries.

They compared notes on international and regional issues of common concern, stressing that countries need to join hand to deal with non-traditional security challenges.

The two sides agreed that disputes and differences should be solved by peaceful measures on the basis of compliance with international law.

During his stay, Deputy Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh met with Alok Sharma, Secretary of State for the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office, during which they agreed that the strengthened defence links between two countries will significantly contribute to their Strategic Partnership, creating a foundation for mutual cooperation and support at multilateral forums and cooperation mechanisms in the region, serving the interests of each country.

Vinh and his entourage also held working sessions with representative from the International Institute for Strategic Studies, the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and a number of prestigious British defence firms.-VNA