Senior Vietnamese and Rusian defence officials have came to terms to fostering naval partnerships as well as training and strategic study cooperation in the coming years.

Deputy Defence Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen Nguyen Chi Vinh and his Russian counterpart Anatoly Antonov reached the agreement at the first Vietnam-Russia deputy ministerial strategic defence dialogue in Moscow on December 12.

They also agreed to step up science and military technology cooperation via all-level visits.

Reviewing security in the Asia-Pacific and issues of interests to both countries’ relations, they shared the view that maintaining regional peace and stability requires strengthening regional and bilateral cooperation mechanisms, especially dialogue mechanisms.

Additionally, building strategic trust and increasing more preventive diplomacy activities need to be put in place, along with all possible ways to avert and control conflicts in the region, they said.

Both host and guest expressed their concern over emerging security issues in the region, especially sovereignty disputes.

According to the officials, the dialogue is a move to realise the contents of the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership, of which defence and military connections play a key role.

The second dialogue of this kind is slated for Hanoi in 2014.-VNA