A Vietnamese delegation led by Air Defence-Air Force Commander Lieutenant General Phuong Minh Hoa is participating in the 10th ASEAN Air Chiefs Conference in Vientiane, Laos on November 2-4.

Addressing the event, Hoa stated that Vietnam’s Air Defence-Air Force Service is always aware that the best way to maintain peace and stability is to strengthen cooperation in building trust and consolidate national unity.

Over the past time, the service has cooperated with the Lao, Cambodian, Thai, Singaporean, Malaysian and Philippine counterparts in delegation exchanges, education-training experience sharing, technical equipment use, and search and rescue activities, thus contributing to protecting security in ASEAN and making it stronger.

Themed “Partners for Peace and Development”, the three-day conference aims to intensify mutual understanding and trust among ASEAN air forces in order to improve their cooperation in dealing with all challenges, for the common peace, development and interests of the grouping towards the formation of an ASEAN Community by 2015.

Delegates have focused discussions on cooperation among ASEAN member countries’ air forces in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, as well as the possible establishment of Standard Operating Procedures of the ASEAN Air Forces Cooperation in this field.

They are scheduled to adopt Malaysia’s initiative on the Term of Reference of the ASEAN Air Forces Education and Training Working Group, which was put forth at the previous conference.-VNA