General Ngo Xuan Lich highly appreciated the ADMM+1 informal meeting.

According to a VNA reporter reporting from the Philippines, within the framework of the 11th ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting (ADMM), on the afternoon of October 23, informal meetings took place between ASEAN Defense Ministers and Defense Ministers of China, Japan and the United States.

General Ngo Xuan Lich (2nd right) takes a photo with ASEAN Defense Ministers at the conference. (Source: AFP/VNA)

At the meeting with Chinese Defense Ministers, Chinese Defense Minister Chang Wanquan welcomed ASEAN countries to share experiences and develop together with China, and together build a closer community.

The Chinese Defense Minister stressed that the region is facing many challenges and opportunities, so cooperation among ASEAN countries as well as between ASEAN and China is necessary to deal with those challenges, including terrorism.

China is ready to support ASEAN in the field of counter-terrorism.

Speaking at the meeting, Minister of National Defense Ngo Xuan Lich highly appreciated the significance of the meeting, saying that this is a necessary and effective form for ASEAN and its important strategic partners in the region to discuss issues of concern, especially in the fields of defense and military, in order to contribute to building and maintaining trust, proposing measures to deal with common security challenges, strengthening ASEAN's solidarity and consensus as well as the connection for common interests between ASEAN and China, actively contributing to maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world.

Vietnam highly appreciates China's support for ASEAN's central role as well as China's active contributions to building defense cooperation mechanisms in which ASEAN plays a leading role, such as the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM+) and the ARF in recent times. However, this cooperation is still not commensurate with the great potential of the two sides.

This year, ASEAN officially put the ASEAN Direct Communications Infrastructure (ADI) into operation. Minister Ngo Xuan Lich suggested that the two sides study the possibility of soon expanding ADI to partner countries, first of all China, so that the two sides can promote information exchange and mutual consultation on issues of mutual concern.

Recently, ASEAN and China have successfully built the Framework of the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC). According to Minister Ngo Xuan Lich, this is a positive development and the two sides need to move towards a COC with high enforcement effectiveness and legal binding.

To achieve this soon, each side needs to promote sincere cooperation and behave in accordance with its commitments.

The ADMM-11 Joint Statement emphasized the value of promoting people-to-people exchanges between defense agencies through the ASEAN defense exchange program.

Minister Ngo Xuan Lich said that this is a very effective form of strengthening trust, the basis for equal and mutually beneficial cooperation. Vietnam and China have jointly conducted the Border Friendship Exchange Program and recently in September, the 4th Vietnam-China Friendship Exchange Program took place, bringing practical results to the people of the two countries.

Minister Ngo Xuan Lich said that it is necessary to study and promote this program soon in ASEAN.

At a meeting with Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera, Minister Onodera affirmed Japan's support for ASEAN's central role.

Japan also wishes to take advantage of cooperation opportunities with ASEAN to achieve the best results and on the basis of each party's needs.

The cooperation will be an opportunity for both sides to learn from each other. Japan also pledged to help ASEAN enhance its capacity, especially in technology, and will continue to promote cooperation based on the “Vientiane Vision.”

The ASEAN Defense Ministers affirmed that the cooperation between ASEAN and Japan has continuously expanded in many fields in recent times; highly appreciated Japan's support and assistance to ASEAN.

The Ministers expressed their hope that through cooperation, Japan will continue to contribute to enhancing peace, stability and security in the region.

Sharing his opinion at the meeting, Minister Ngo Xuan Lich emphasized that ASEAN highly appreciates Japan's support for maintaining ASEAN's central role in the region.

Minister Ngo Xuan Lich said it is necessary to maintain contacts between ASEAN and Japan in various forms to comprehensively strengthen defense cooperation between the two sides.

Minister Ngo Xuan Lich also affirmed Vietnam's consistent stance on the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.

At a meeting with the US Secretary of Defense, US Secretary of Defense James Mattis appreciated ASEAN's central role in peace and stability in the region.

The US Secretary also shared the US views on counter-terrorism and maritime security and emphasized that the US supports the full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and the early conclusion of the construction of the COC.

ASEAN Defense Ministers expressed their hope that the United States would continue to contribute to maintaining peace and stability in the East Sea as well as in counter-terrorism cooperation.

Speaking at the meeting, Minister Ngo Xuan Lich said that among the emerging challenges, there is an issue related to countries in the region, which is the issue of security, safety and freedom of navigation and aviation at sea, especially in the East Sea.

For the common good, countries in the region need to overcome differences to reach consensus on the basis of international law and agreed commitments.

Minister Ngo Xuan Lich hopes that the United States will support the peaceful settlement of disputes in the East Sea on the basis of respect for international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and full respect for diplomatic and legal processes.

Minister Ngo Xuan Lich welcomed the United States' promotion of cooperation with ASEAN in the fields of counter-terrorism, maritime security (especially continuing to assist ASEAN countries in improving maritime capacity), and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

These are areas of cooperation being implemented within the ADMM+ framework and their effective implementation will contribute to deepening the Vietnam-US strategic partnership.

On the sidelines of the ADMM-11 Conference, in the afternoon of the same day, Vietnamese Minister of National Defense Ngo Xuan Lich had a bilateral meeting with Senior Lieutenant General Chansamon Channhalat, Minister of National Defense of Laos.

At the meeting, Minister Ngo Xuan Lich affirmed Vietnam's consistent stance of always attaching importance to consolidating and enhancing the special friendship, solidarity and comprehensive cooperation with Laos.

The two Ministers assessed that bilateral defense cooperation in recent times has achieved many important results, contributing to maintaining security and political stability in each country, strengthening solidarity, and promoting the further development of Vietnam-Laos relations.

The two Ministers agreed that in the coming time, the two sides will continue to promote defense cooperation in an effective and practical manner, bringing benefits to both countries as well as actively contributing to peace and stability in the region.

Senior Lieutenant General Chansamon Channhalat and Minister Ngo Xuan Lich both said that the two sides need to continue to do better in propaganda and education for the younger generation as well as officers and soldiers of the two countries' armies about the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the people and armies of the two countries./.

According to Vietnam+