Jakarta (VNA) – Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien met with Indonesian Defence Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin in Jakarta on September 18, during which the latter agreed on the need to make defence cooperation more substantive, particularly in strengthening ties between the navies, air forces, and coast guards as well as in training.
Sjamsoeddin also stressed the importance of enhancing collaboration in maritime security, supporting fishermen, and conducting search and rescue operations at sea in the time ahead.
At the meeting, Chien emphasised that Vietnam and Indonesia are neighbours sharing the marine boundaries and many common interests. He expressed his satisfaction with the comprehensive, trustworthy, and substantive development of bilateral ties since the two countries established diplomatic relations 70 years ago.
The Deputy Minister noted that the upgrade of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in March 2025 was a historic milestone, reflecting the strong political will of both sides to advance cooperation in a more reliable, practical, and effective manner. Defence and security cooperation is a key pillar of this partnership, he said.
Chien informed his host of the outcomes of the fourth Vietnam – Indonesia Defence Policy Dialogue, during which the two sides reached consensus on several important areas of cooperation.
The Vietnamese officer expressed his hope that Sjamsoeddin would continue to support the implementation of bilateral initiatives, such as strengthening cooperation in defence industry, enhancing exchanges and coordination between the two countries’ maritime law enforcement forces, sharing information, and effectively addressing issues at sea. He also called for continued joint efforts to ensure humanitarian treatment of fishermen who accidentally violate each other’s waters.
For his part, Sjamsoeddin warmly welcomed Chien’s visit to Indonesia to co-chair the fourth Vietnam – Indonesia Defence Policy Dialogue and praised recent achievements in bilateral defence cooperation. He affirmed that the growth of the Vietnam – Indonesia friendship provides a solid foundation for stronger collaboration across multiple fields, including defence./.
