Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, senior lieutenant general Do Ba Ty, held bilateral meetings with the heads of the delegations from Brunei, Cambodia and Indonesia who attended the tenth ASEAN Chiefs of Defence Forces Informal Meeting (ACDFIM-10) in Brunei on March 19.

While meeting with Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces Dato Paduka Seri Haji Aminuddin Ihsan, Ty said he believes the ACDFIM-10 will be successful, boosting defence links among ASEAN member nations, for peace, stability and common development in the region and the world.

Ty affirmed that the Government of Vietnam and the Vietnam People’s Army always treasure the development of friendship and cooperation with Brunei .

Vietnam and Brunei agreed to realise initiatives reached during the Commander’s official friendly visit to Vietnam in February, including the implementation of cooperation contents within the framework of the Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral defence cooperation signed by the two nations in 2005.

The Brunei side thanked Vietnam for its active contributions to the ACDFIM-10 and in Brunei ’s multilateral defence activities under its chairmanship, which contributed to helping Brunei fulfil its ASEAN chair in 2013.

At a meeting with Defence Deputy Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces, lieutenant general Eth Sarath, Ty highly valued the cooperation between the two armies and nations last year, which marked the 45 th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and the Vietnam–Cambodia Friendship Year within the framework of the Protocol on Bilateral Defence Cooperation and the annual cooperation plan between the two defence ministries.

Eth Sarath expressed his wishes that the two sides will actively and effectively implement cooperation content as set under the annual bilateral cooperation plan.

Meeting with Commander of the Indonesian National Armed Forces, Admiral Agus Suhartono, Ty hailed the active preparations between the two sides to realise their leaders’ determination to bring Vietnam–Indonesia ties to a strategic partnership level.

Defence ties between Vietnam and Indonesia have developed positively in the exchange of delegations, navy links, education, intelligence sharing, and supporting each other within the framework of multilateral defence cooperation in the region.

On the basis of the bilateral defence cooperation agreement signed in August, 2010, the two sides agreed to boost links in delegation exchange, education and the defence industry.

Ty suggested the two sides soon sign an agreement on joint patrol regulations on contiguous waters and establish a communication channel between the two navies, therefore ensuring security, safety and the settlement of emerging issues.

They agreed to liaise within the ASEAN cooperation framework and the five fields agreed within the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting to maintain the central role of ASEAN in the regional security structure, ensuring the common interests of each country and the whole bloc.-VNA