Enhancing coordination capacity between ASEAN armies

This morning (November 26), the opening ceremony of the 15th ASEAN Army Chiefs Conference took place in Hanoi with the theme “Enhancing coordination capacity among ASEAN armies to respond to non-traditional challenges”. The conference will take place from now until November 29.

Conference overview.

Speaking at the conference, Senior Lieutenant General Do Ba Ty, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army and Deputy Minister of National Defense, stated: Along with other defense and military forums, the ASEAN Army Chiefs' Conference has become an important cooperation mechanism to respond to common security risks in the region, especially non-traditional security risks.

With the general message of the Conference affirming the necessity of strengthening cooperation between the ASEAN Army and the determination to find specific initiatives and measures to promote cooperation, Senior Lieutenant General Do Ba Ty suggested that the Conference focus on discussing to propose mechanisms, forms and measures that are highly feasible and suitable to the actual capabilities of each country's Army, in order to connect and maximize the resources of each country, as well as enhance the ability to coordinate and cooperate in responding to existing non-traditional security challenges in the region.

Senior Lieutenant General Do Ba Ty affirmed: “From the perspective of national defense and security, in the context of the region's political-security structure being shaped and facing strategic issues related to peace, security, stability and cooperation in the region, ASEAN countries have persistently adopted a comprehensive security approach, promoting cooperation and mutual support to effectively handle challenges at the national, regional and international levels; promoting their role as an important factor in ensuring peace, stability and development in the region.”

The 15th ASEAN Army Chiefs' Conference will discuss measures to promote cooperation among ASEAN Armies to deal with common security challenges facing the region, contributing to maintaining peace, stability, and common development in the region, and efforts to build the ASEAN Community in 2015 and the following years.

ASEAN Army Commanders at the Conference

The conference takes place in the context of ASEAN entering the final year of the Community building process at the end of 2015, so it is of special significance, bringing new momentum to promote cooperation between ASEAN militaries in general and the Army in particular. The organization of this conference affirms the determination of ASEAN militaries to promote strong and substantive cooperation, making practical contributions to the common process of building the community, for a peaceful, stable, cooperative and prosperous Southeast Asia.

The conference also aims to strengthen the friendship, understanding and trust between the Vietnam People's Army and the armies of ASEAN member countries, while demonstrating the "Active, proactive and responsible role of the Vietnam People's Army in common regional issues".

* Also on the morning of November 26, in Hanoi, the Vietnam People's Army hosted the 4th ASEAN Non-Commissioned Officers' Meeting (ASMAM-4) 2014 with the theme: "Roles, functions, and tasks of Non-Commissioned Officers and Professional Soldiers in the ASEAN Army system, and future cooperation possibilities."

Non-commissioned officers of ASEAN countries take a group photo. Photo: VNA

Opening the conference, Major General Nguyen Van Luan, Deputy Director of the Military Training Department, General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, said that since its establishment in 2011, through 3 times of organization, together with the ASEAN Army Commanders Conference and the ASEAN Army Military Shooting Competition, the ASEAN Army Non-Commissioned Officers Conference has become an annual mechanism.

This is also an opportunity for non-commissioned officers and professional soldiers of ASEAN countries to meet, exchange, discuss issues of mutual concern to enhance understanding, share experiences, and seek cooperation opportunities.

This is also an opportunity for non-commissioned officers and professional soldiers of ASEAN countries to propose practical measures, contributing to building a peaceful and stable environment and jointly responding to common challenges in the region.

Major General Nguyen Van Luan emphasized that the non-commissioned officer force plays a very important role in the structure and organization of the army; it is the force that directly participates in combat operations when situations arise.

However, due to differences in structure, organization, functions, tasks, and defense policies among countries, there are certain difficulties in promoting cooperation and exchange between non-commissioned officers of ASEAN countries' armies. Therefore, enhancing exchange, cooperation, and sharing of knowledge is very necessary.

At the conference, representatives of non-commissioned officers of ASEAN countries' armies exchanged and disseminated professional experience and military professions; measures to enhance solidarity, friendship, mutual understanding, trust and cooperation between the Vietnam People's Army and the armies of ASEAN countries.

The non-commissioned officers exchanged views and worked together towards the goal of promoting cooperation, contributing to solving security challenges in the region, and striving to build a peaceful, stable and prosperous ASEAN Community.

The ASMAM-4 Conference takes place in the context of ASEAN entering the final year of the ASEAN Community building process (2015), so it is of great significance in creating momentum to promote cooperation between ASEAN militaries.

The ASMAM-4 Conference once again affirmed the role, functions and tasks of non-commissioned officers and professional soldiers in the ASEAN Army; the possibility of future cooperation between the Vietnam People's Army and the ASEAN Armies.

This conference demonstrates Vietnam's role and responsibility in the regional cooperation process, including defense cooperation; at the same time, it promotes the image and position of the country, people and the Vietnam People's Army to international and regional friends.

During the ASMAN-4 Conference, delegates will visit and exchange with a number of units of the Vietnam People's Army and visit a number of historical and cultural relics in the capital Hanoi.

ASMAM-4 Conference ends on November 28.

According to VOV/Vietnam+