The fifth Vietnam-Singapore defence policy dialogue took place in Singapore from November 19-21.

During the event, Deputy Defence Minister Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh held talks with Singapore ’s Permanent Defence Secretary Chiang Chie Foo.

The two sides expressed their wish to match bilateral defence cooperation with the strategic partnership reached between leaders of the two countries in 2012, looking towards the 40 th anniversary of their diplomatic ties in 2013.

Both sides exchanged views on regional and international issues.

They maintained that peace, stability and development are the common needs of people in the region, including those in Singapore and Vietnam , and is the universal trend in the current period.

Regarding regional issues, the two sides agreed that traditional and non-traditional challenges still exist.

They shared the views that the parties need to strengthen friendship and cooperation to consolidate peace, stability and development in each country and enhance their solidarity to contribute to peace and stability in the world.

They stressed that unity and solidarity among ASEAN member states is an important factor to maintain peace and stability in the region, limit outside negative impacts that can divide ASEAN, maintain and enhance ASEAN’s central role at multilateral forums.

Regarding the East Sea issue, both sides held that ASEAN countries and concerned parties need to make greater effort in exchanging views, building trust and putting forth peaceful measures to settle step-by-step the disputes on the basis of openness, transparency and international law, especially the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, and promptly building the Code of Conduct of Parties in the East Sea.

The two sides pledged to enhance bilateral ties in many fields to make them increasingly effective, with focus on human resources training and experience sharing in army medical assistance and peace-keeping activities.

The Singaporean side said they want to invite Defence Minister Phung Quang Thanh to the Shangri-La dialogue in Singapore , which is scheduled for mid-2013.

Vinh conveyed an invitation from Thanh to Singaporean Defence Minister to visit Vietnam .

The fifth Vietnam-Singapore defence policy dialogue is a practical activity to implement and realise the two countries’ leaders’ commitment to building a strategic partnership during the recent visit by Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong to Singapore, and look towards the 40 th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the countries in 2013.-VNA