Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Defence Nguyen Chi Vinh (left) in his meeting with New Zealand Defence Minister Ron Mark. (Photo: VNA)Sydney (VNA) – Vietnam and New Zealand have agreed to enhance cooperation in UN peacekeeping operations, cyber and maritime security, and in the Experts Working Group (EWG) mechanism within the framework of the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM-Plus).
It was among plans the two countries outlined for their defence cooperation between 2018 - 2020 when Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Defence Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh and New Zealand Secretary of Defence Helene Quilter co-chaired the third Vietnam-New Zealand Defence Policy Dialogue in Wellington on November 7.
Welcoming Vinh, Quilter said the visit would strengthen the comprehensive partnership between the two countries and their defence ties with a vision towards a strategic partnership in the time ahead.
New Zealand highly values Vietnam’s role in the region and wants to join hands with Vietnam to contribute to peace, stability and development in the region, the secretary of defence noted.
Vinh, for his part, affirmed that Vietnam always treasures defence cooperation with New Zealand, saying despite geographical distance, the two countries’ partnership has proved to be effective, benefiting their people and national development.
The two officials exchanged views on several issues of mutual interest, including counterterrorism, maritime security and the role played by regional powers.
They also agreed to continue the exchange of high-ranking delegations and exchanges between research institutes; maintain consultation and dialogue mechanisms; and foster cooperation in training.
Vinh later met with New Zealand Defence Minister Ron Mark who said he highly appreciated the outcomes of bilateral defence cooperation in recent years.
During his visit to New Zealand from November 5-7, Vinh and Chief of the New Zealand Defence Force Lt Gen Tim Keating signed an agreement on cooperation in peacekeeping training between the two countries. -VNA
VNA
