Defence Minister receives Australian counterpart

 

Hanoi (VNA) – Defence Minister Gen. Ngo Xuan Lich hosted a reception in Hanoi on February 18 for Senator Linda Reynolds, Australian Defence Minister, within the framework of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Retreat.

The two ministers acknowledged recent steps of development in bilateral defence ties with effective activities within Vietnam – Australia defence cooperation framework in accordance with signed agreements.

Reynolds lauded the Vietnamese Defence Ministry for holding an informal meeting between ASEAN and Australia defence ministers, which, she said, reflected Vietnam’s support for Australia in enhancing cooperation with the bloc in national defence as well as Vietnam’s preparations during ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020.

She believed that the Vietnamese Defence Ministry would successfully organise ASEAN 2020 conferences and defence activities, along with sideline activities such as an international symposium on women’s role in the United Nations peacekeeping missions and the first international national defence exhibition in Vietnam.

The Australian minister committed the highest support for activities hosted by Vietnam, and pledged to further assist Vietnam in improving foreign language capacity, and transporting forces from the level-2 field hospital of the Vietnam’s peacekeeping mission, thus helping Vietnam fulfil its assigned tasks./.