The third deputy ministerial-level foreign affairs and defence strategic dialogue between Vietnam and Australia took place in Canberra, Australia on November 20.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ho Xuan Son and Deputy Minister of Defence Nguyen Chi Vinh attended the event, together with their Australian counterparts Gillian Bird and Peter Baxter.

The two sides agreed to continue promoting high-level delegation exchanges and prioritise multi-dimensional cooperation on politics, economics, security-defence, education-training, science-technology, and people-to-people exchanges, aiming to deepen the comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and Australia .

Both nations looked towards stronger coordination and dialogue to build trust for peace, stability and development in the Asian-Pacific region and supported ASEAN efforts to increase solidarity and connectivity with a view to establishing an ASEAN Community by 2015.

They also agreed to increase their affiliation to tackle non-traditional security threats such as epidemics, climate change, human trafficking, and cyber attacks.

Regarding the East Sea issue, the two sides underlined the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the region, while ensuring navigation and aviation security and freedom, and obeying international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

They called upon the involved parties to address any disputes via peaceful means, without the threat or use of force; implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) fully and seriously; and promptly devise a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

The Australian officials laid emphasis on the development of the cooperative ties with Vietnam and looked forward to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s official visit to Australia in early 2015.

The fourth dialogue is scheduled to take place in Vietnam next year. Both sides are expecting to reach the signing of a cooperation agreement between the two foreign ministries on addressing unexploded ordnances and supporting national development.

VNA/VNN