Vietnam joins ASEAN Chiefs of Defence Forces’ Meeting

Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Phuong Nam (R) attends the 18th ASEAN Chiefs of Defence Forces’ Meeting (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) - Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’sArmy, Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Phuong Nam, led a delegation of the Ministry ofNational Defence to attend the 18th ASEAN Chiefs of Defence Forces’ Meeting(ACDFM-18), held via videoconference on March 18 under the chair of Brunei.

Delegates exchanged opinions on the regional andinternational situation, especially traditional and non-traditional security challengesdirectly affecting ASEAN, assessed the outcomes of cooperation, and set forth orientationsto boost substantial and effective cooperation between the armies of ASEAN countries.

Nam affirmed that, in 2021, Vietnam will maintainits support for and close cooperation with Brunei and other ASEAN member statesto move on with results from 2020 and realise the goals set out for the ASEAN Year2021.

The theme “We Care, We Prepare, We Prosper”, chosenby Brunei for its ASEAN Chairmanship 2021, reflects the shared aspiration ofthe ASEAN Community to heighten collective efforts to increase local living conditions.

Amid the complex developments of the COVID-19pandemic, security challenges have remained unstable, including sea-related securityissues, he said, adding that Vietnam pledges to responsibly participate in cooperativeactivities between the armies of ASEAN countries, especially as co-chair of theASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM ) Experts’ Working Group on UN PeacekeepingMissions during 2021-2024, with Japan, and as chair of the ASEAN Peacekeeping CentresNetwork’s meeting.

Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Phuong Nam (Photo: VNA)

He backed and appreciated ACDFM-18’s joint statementstressing ASEAN countries’ commitment to maintaining peace, security, stability,safety and freedom of aviation and navigation in the East Sea, building trust, fullyand effectively implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the EastSea (DOC), and soon completing a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), in conformitywith international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The Vietnamese officer expressed his belief thatthis meeting will put forward new initiatives to increase the quality of cooperationbetween the armies of ASEAN states, thus contributing to peace, stability, and prosperityin the region and the world.

Concluding the meeting, Brunei handed over the ACDFMChairmanship to Cambodia which will work as Chair of ASEAN in 2022./.

VNA