The meeting between Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh (R) and Deputy Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific in the European External Action Service Paola Pampaloni in Hanoi on February 18 (Photo: qdnd.vn)

The request was made in a letter that Deputy Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific in the European External Action Service (EEAS) Paola Pampaloni handed over to Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh at their meeting in Hanoi on February 18.

Vinh noted that the defence cooperation between Vietnam and the EU has received attention from both sides, as seen in the signing of the agreement on the establishment of a framework for Vietnam’s participation in crisis management activities of the EU (named the Framework Participation Agreement (FPA)) in October 2019.

According to the Vietnamese official, along with the Vietnam – EU Comprehensive Partnership and Cooperation Framework Agreement (PCA),the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and the Vietnam-EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA), the signing of the FPA has contributed to promoting the comprehensive cooperation between the two sides.

Stressing that 2020 is an important year for Vietnam as it serves the double role of Chair of ASEAN and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, Deputy Minister Vinh said he hopes Vietnam and the EU will increase the exchange of delegations at all levels and bolster joint work in different fields, including peacekeeping and training.

Sharing Vinh’s view, Pampaloni noted that the Chairman of the EU Military Committee, General Claudio Graziano will visit Vietnam in mid-2020, and the two sides have also planned to hold the second defence-security dialogue in Vietnam this year.

Those activities will help drive forward the effective defence cooperation between the EU and Vietnam, according to the EEAS Deputy Managing Director./.VNA

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