Vietnam and France have agreed to step up cooperation in training, military medicine, navy, defence industry and peace-keeping operations.

Vietnam’s Deputy Defence Minister Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh

The consensus was reached during the second Vietnam-France Defence Policy Dialogue held in Ho Chi Minh City on January 11. The event was co-chaired by Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh, Vietnam’s Deputy Defence Minister, and Vice Admiral Hervé de Bonnaventure, Deputy Director General for International Relations and Strategy under the French Ministry of Defence. 

The two sides will increase meetings, exchange of delegations, especially high-ranking delegations of Vietnamese and French military officers, as well as visits of military ships.

Apart from promoting the efficiency of the bilateral defence policy dialogues, Vietnam and France will cooperate and support each other at multilateral forums, while expanding collaboration in such areas as navigation and aviation security and safety, and response to non-traditional security issues. 

The French side wants to beef up defence ties with Vietnam to contribute to peace, stability and development. 

The dialogue took place at an important time, marking the adjustment of the defence cooperation mechanism between Vietnam and France in order to bring about tangible outcomes suitable with the new situation, said Hervé de Bonnaventure.

The event was also held in the context that the two countries are celebrating the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties and five years of the establishment of their strategic partnership.-VNA