Vietnamese Deputy Defence Minister Do Ba Ty and Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Force Pol Saroeun have agreed to step up cooperation in training in the coming time.

During their talks in Preah Sihanouk on June 16, both senior officers also reached a consensus on accelerating connections between military units stationed along the border shared by the two countries to ensure social security there.

Seninor Lieutenant General Ty, who is also Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, briefed his host of China ’s serious violation of Vietnam ’s sovereignty by illegally positioning its Haiyang Shiyou - 981 drilling rig in Vietnam ’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

The act in early May poses a great challenge to peace, political security and stability in the region, Ty said, pointing to the necessity of enhancing unity among the ASEAN member countries in pushing for the creation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea to put an end to every unilateral act of aggression.

The Vietnamese general spoke highly of the cooperation between the Vietnam People’s Army and the Cambodian Royal Armed Forces as well as the assistance provided by the Cambodian Government and army.

Such affiliation has enabled Vietnamese forces in 2013 to search and repatriate 468 sets of remains of Vietnamese soldiers who laid down their lives in Cambodia in wartime.

He expressed hope that this work could be accomplished by 2020.

The Vietnam People’s Army has so far lent a helping hand to the Cambodian army in infrastructure construction, human resources training and healthcare check-ups.

Later the same day, the Vietnamese officers paid a working visit to the Ream Naval Base, the largest of its kind of the Cambodian Royal Armed Forces, which has received training and equipment from the Vietnamese Navy for years.

In the morning, they paid a wreath at a memorial dedicated to Vietnamese volunteer soldiers in the city.

The Vietnamese delegation's visit from June 15 will be wrapped on June 18.-VNA