The fifth foreign affairs and defence strategic dialogue at the deputy ministerial level between Vietnam and Australia was organised in Canberra on September 27.

The Vietnamese delegation at the dialogue

The event was chaired by Vietnamese Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Dinh Quy and Australia’s Deputy Secretary Defence People Rebecca Skinner and Deputy Secretary in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Gary Quinlan.

During the dialogue, the two sides agreed to continue boosting the Vietnam-Australia relations in the fields of politics, economics, trade, defence, security, agriculture, education and training, tourism and people-to-people diplomacy.

They exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern, while pledging to maintain close coordination at multilateral forums, including the United Nations, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and forums led by ASEAN such as the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum, in order to promote dialogue and cooperation, and maintain peace, stability and order in the region.

The delegates stressed the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, maritime and aviation freedom and safety in the region, and solving disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982.

Australia hopes ASEAN and China would soon reach a Code of Conduct in the East Sea.

Furthermore, the two sides also agreed to collaborate closely in boosting consensus in ASEAN and maintaining the central role of the bloc in the regional structure.

The sides pledged to work together to ensure the success of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Vietnam in November, the East Asia Summit in the Philippines in November, and the ASEAN-Australia Commemorative Summit in Australia in March, 2018.

VNA