The shared and consistent goal of international integration and external defence relations is to safeguard the country’s independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, as well as national interests and a peaceful environment for development, stated Defence Minister General Ngo Xuan Lich. 

Defence Minister General Ngo Xuan Lich. 

The minister made the statement during a conference in Hanoi on August 17 to review external defence relations in the 2010-2015 period and two years of implementing the Central Military Commission’s resolution 806-NQ/QUTW on international integration and external relations in defence until 2020. 

He asked officials in charge of external defence relations to strengthen strategic research and forecast; considering external defence relations as a strategic orientation and a solution to protect the country. 

Defence units and agencies should focus on promoting relations with countries sharing strategic partnerships and comprehensive partnerships with Vietnam on the basis of ensuring independence, sovereignty, mutual respect, equality and shared benefits for the interest of each country and for peace, stability and development in the region and the world, he said. 

He also requested closer coordination with other ministries and sectors in making plans and policies in the field as well as conducting external defence relations activities, while improving communications to popularise the image of the Vietnam People’s Army to international friends, thus clarifying the defence policies of the Party and State. 

Over the past five years, external defence relations have seen a number of achievements, with the active and proactive participation of the Defence Ministry in multilateral defence cooperation mechanisms within the framework of ASEAN. 

The ministry has effectively implemented the plan on joining the United Nations peace-keeping operations in the 2014-2020 period. It has also built policies and legal documents relating to external defence relations, while focusing on researching strategies in the field.

VNA