On the morning of December 17, at the Ministry of National Defense headquarters, General Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defense, presided over the welcoming ceremony for Lieutenant General Khrenin Viktor Gennadievich, Minister of Defense of Belarus, on his official visit to Vietnam.

At the invitation of General Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defense, Lieutenant General Khrenin Viktor Gennadievich led a high-ranking Belarusian defense delegation on an official visit to Vietnam and to attend the Vietnam International Defense Expo 2024 from December 16 to 19.

Following the welcoming ceremony, the two sides held bilateral talks. General Phan Van Giang warmly welcomed Lieutenant General Khrenin Viktor Gennadievich and his delegation, expressing gratitude to the Belarusian Ministry of Defense for its participation and support at the exhibition.

The Vietnamese Minister of Defense emphasized that the people and the Vietnam People’s Army will always remember and appreciate the significant support provided by the former Soviet Union, including Belarus, during Vietnam’s struggle for national liberation and unification.

General Phan Van Giang stated that the defense cooperation between Vietnam and Belarus has been effectively implemented in recent times, aligning with the overall traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries. This cooperation is based on signed international agreements and treaties and has achieved many positive results.

The Vietnamese Ministry of Defense hopes that, in the future, both countries will continue to strengthen their defense cooperation based on their longstanding friendship. Key areas of focus include high-level delegation exchanges, military training, medical services, military history, and military media collaboration. Both sides also aim to continue supporting and participating in multilateral defense activities hosted by either nation.

General Phan Van Giang proposed that the Belarusian Ministry of Defense consider offering additional scholarships and preferential training opportunities for Vietnamese military personnel at Belarusian defense institutions. He also invited Belarusian military personnel to attend Vietnamese language courses at the Military Science Academy and defense official courses at the National Defense Academy in Vietnam.

Lieutenant General Khrenin Viktor Gennadievich expressed his appreciation for the warm reception extended by the Vietnamese Ministry of Defense and agreed with the proposals aimed at enhancing bilateral defense cooperation. He extended a formal invitation to General Phan Van Giang to visit Belarus and attend the Belarus International Defense Expo 2025.

Recognizing the strong relations between Vietnam and Belarus, Minister Khrenin Viktor Gennadievich affirmed that the Belarusian Ministry of Defense would work closely with its Vietnamese counterparts to effectively implement agreed-upon areas of cooperation, further strengthening the Vietnam-Belarus relationship.

During the talks, the two sides exchanged views on global and regional issues of mutual concern.

Regarding maritime issues, General Phan Van Giang reiterated Vietnam's consistent stance on resolving disputes through peaceful measures based on international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). He stressed the importance of fully implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and working towards an effective, substantive Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea in accordance with international law.

On this occasion, the two Ministers of Defense signed cooperation documents, marking a new step in Vietnam-Belarus defense relations.