Major General Ngo Minh Tien, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) received Eamonn O'Shaughnessy, head of the New Zealand Ministry of Defence’s International Branch, in Hanoi on October 29.

Major General Ngo Minh Tien, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army present a souvenir to Eamonn O'Shaughnessy, head of the New Zealand Ministry of Defence’s International Branch (Source: qdnd.vn)

At the meeting, Tien stressed Vietnam highly values New Zealand’s position in the region and in the world and wants to foster friendship and win-win cooperation with the country across fields based on the sides’ current bilateral comprehensive partnership. 

He said bilateral defence ties have been reinforced in line with a memorandum of understanding on defence cooperation and an agreement on peacekeeping collaboration signed between the two countries in 2013 and 2017, respectively.

The official recommended the sides increase exchange of delegations at different levels and promote their cooperation via dialogue, consultation, training, and peacekeeping activities, among others.

Seeking opportunities for joint work in new areas of mutual demand like cyber-security and search-rescue is also needed, Tien said.

He affirmed that leaders of the VPA and its General Staff will create favourable conditions for the development of bilateral defence ties.

For his part, Eamon O'Shaughnessy informed his host about outcomes of the Vietnam – New Zealand defence cooperation consultation, which took place earlier the same day.

He stated New Zealand is willing to share its peacekeeping experience with Vietnam.-VNA