VietNamNet Bridge – Vietnam and Australia have conducted their second defence dialogue with a view to further strengthening the strategic partnership and share their views on regional and international issue of mutual concern.

The event was co-chaired on November 18 by Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh and First Assistant Secretary of International Policy of the Australian Department of Defence, Neil Orme.

Both sides expressed their delight at positive developments in bilateral cooperation in diplomacy, defence, economics, trade, investment, education and training especially at a time when they are actively celebrating 40 years of diplomatic ties (1973-2013).

Two-way trade turnover reached US$3.55 billion in the first ninth months of 2013, 10 percent higher than last year’s same period.

Australia voiced its willingness to continue boosting all sided cooperation with Vietnam, particularly in areas it has strength and Vietnam demands such as development aid, education-training, infrastructure development, agriculture and rural development.

Australia pledged to support Vietnam in accelerating deeper international integration and speeding up negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Economic Partnership Agreement (TPP) and Regional Comprehensive Partnership (RCEP).

The two sides agreed to increase their coordination at regional and international forums like APEC, ASEM and the UN while affirming joint efforts to enhance cooperation, dialogues, reconciliation and trust building thus helping promote peace, stability, cooperation and development in the Asia-Pacific region.

They underlined the need to reinforce regional structure to maintain regional peace and stability in which ASEAN play a central role.

The two countries concurred to continue cooperation at regional and international forums such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+), the East Asia Summit (EAS) and the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI).

They shared their views on non-traditional security related to human trafficking, climate change, sea level rise, internet security, food security, water resource security including the sustainable use of Mekong River water resources.

Regarding the East sea issue, they were fully aware of the importance to maintaining peace, stability, security and maritime safety in the East Sea and peaceful settlement of disputes on the basis of respect for the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and ASEAN-China agreements including the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in the East Sea and the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

The next dialogue will be held in Australia at an appropriate time next year.

At a reception for the Australian military delegation on the same day, Defence Minister Phung Quang Thanh suggested the two defence ministries properly implement the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in 2010 aiming to share experience in UN peace keeping activities.

Earlier, the Australian delegation also held discussions with the Foreign and Defence Ministries’ two institutes for strategic studies.

Source: VOV