Australian Defense Minister visits Vietnam

On August 24, Ms. Marise Payne, Senator and Australian Minister of Defense, had a meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and held talks with Minister of Defense Ngo Xuan Lich.

Defence Minister Marise Payne meets with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. Photo: Provided by the Australian Embassy

This is Ms. Marise Payne's first visit to Vietnam as Australian Minister of Defense to promote defense relations with Vietnam.

Peaceful resolution of East Sea disputes

According to the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense, at the meeting with Minister Marise Payne, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed that the Vietnamese Government supports the two countries' Defense Ministries to continue to strengthen cooperation, develop substantive, stable, sustainable, and commensurate relations of the current Comprehensive Partnership and future development prospects.

This relationship will thereby contribute positively to peace, stability and development of the Asia-Pacific region and the world.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc hopes that Australia will continue to have a strong voice in supporting the settlement of disputes in the East Sea by peaceful means on the basis of respect for international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), seriously implementing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and soon reaching a substantive Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

Meanwhile, the Australian Embassy in Vietnam said that during a meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc this afternoon, Minister Payne reaffirmed Australia's commitment to working with Vietnam and other regional partners to promote regional peace and security.

The Minister highlighted Australia's support for the peaceful resolution of disputes, in accordance with each country's rights under international law.

Defense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich and his Australian counterpart Marise Payne inspect the honor guard at the welcoming ceremony in Hanoi on August 24. Photo: Viet Dung

Substantive and stable defense cooperation

On the same afternoon, the welcoming ceremony for Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne took place solemnly at the Ministry of National Defense Headquarters under the chairmanship of General Ngo Xuan Lich, Minister of National Defense of Vietnam.

Immediately after the welcoming ceremony, General Ngo Xuan Lich held talks with Minister Marise Payne.

At the meeting, the two sides assessed that the Vietnam-Australia defense cooperation relationship is substantive, stable, sustainable, and in line with the Memorandum of Understanding on Defense Cooperation signed in 2010.

The two sides agreed to consider holding the first Deputy Ministerial-level Defence Policy Dialogue and some support from the Australian Department of Defence for Vietnam's deployment to the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission.

Minister Marise Payne thanked the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense for its support for Australia's proposal to host the annual ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM+) based on ASEAN consensus, and affirmed her commitment to continue to actively contribute to the success of this important mechanism.

According to the Australian Embassy, ​​on August 25, Minister Payne will visit Group 871 of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army and meet with Vietnam People's Army academies currently studying English under the Australia-Vietnam Defence Cooperation Program as well as some officers of the Vietnam Peacekeeping Center.

The minister will then visit the 113th Special Forces Brigade and attend a counter-terrorism demonstration by the unit.

Defense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich shakes hands with his Australian counterpart Marise Payne in Hanoi on August 24. Photo: Viet Dung

Defense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich introduces Vietnamese defense officials to Ms. Marise Payne. Photo: Viet Dung

According to Tuoi Tre