A senior military delegation from the Philippines , led by Defence Minister Voltaire T. Gazmin arrived in Hanoi on October 24 on an official visit.

The delegation met with Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh on October 25.

At the meeting, General Thanh thanked his Filipino counterpart for his support for Vietnam when it hosted the first ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM Plus). He said he believed that the visit would help to boost mutual understanding and cooperation between both armies and peoples.

General Thanh also expressed his sympathy for the losses caused by Typhoon Megi when it battered the Philippines .

The Filipino Defence Minister congratulated the Vietnamese Defence Ministry for successfully holding the ADMM Retreat and the ADMM Plus.

The two ministers agreed to prepare to implement the memorandum of understanding on bilateral cooperation in defence which is to be signed on October 26.

The MoU aims to increase the exchange of military delegations, share information on anti-terrorism measures, experiences in search and rescue, hold reciprocal naval visits, and other issues of common concern./.