Vietnamese Minister of National Defence Gen. Ngo Xuan Lich addresses the 2019Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in early June

The assessment was made by the Ministry ofNational Defence at a meeting in Hanoi on July 16. The event, chaired by DeputyDefence Minister Sen. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh, reviewed the defence diplomacyin the first half of 2019.

The ministry reported that over the last sixmonths, under the leadership of the Central Military Commission and withefforts by the whole army, international integration and external work indefence have been carried out in a flexible and creative manner, attainingnumerous important outcomes.

Vietnam’s defence cooperation activities havebeen implemented basing on the signed agreements, focusing on all-leveldelegation exchanges, personnel training, participation in United Nationspeacekeeping operations, war consequences settlement, humanitarian aid anddisaster relief.

In the reviewed period, Vietnam actively tookpart in international and regional activities, including the 18th Shangri-LaDialogue and the 8th Moscow Conference on International Security. It also madeactive preparations for deploying a sapper unit to South Sudan and the secondlevel-two field hospital to replace the first one in the African nation.

That has helped promote the country and its army’sstature and role in the international arena, the ministry said.

Participants in the meeting said for the year’slast half, Vietnam will continue promoting bilateral defence ties with othercountries, especially in the fields that suit its capacity like defence policydialogues and consultations, war consequences settlement, humanitarian aid,disaster relief, and participation in UN peacekeeping operations.

The country will also further engage inASEAN-led multilateral defence cooperation mechanisms and actively prepare fordefence – military meetings and activities in 2020, when it holds the ASEANChair. -VNA