Hanoi, April 24, 2024, The Europe Today: The 11th Vietnam-Republic of Korea (RoK) defence policy dialogue was convened in Hanoi on April 23, marking a significant milestone in reviewing bilateral cooperation achievements and setting future directions for joint collaboration.
Deputy Minister of National Defence of Vietnam, Hoàng Xuân Chiến, and his counterpart from the Republic of Korea, Kim Seon Ho, co-chaired the dialogue.
Deputy Minister Chiến highlighted the strengthened bilateral relations across various sectors, including defence, following the elevation of Vietnam-RoK relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in December 2022. He emphasized the tangible outcomes of defence cooperation, encompassing exchanges of delegations, education and training initiatives, dialogue mechanisms, defence industry collaboration, military trade, war legacy issues, cybersecurity, military medicine, and UN peacekeeping. Both nations have also demonstrated mutual support in multilateral forums, particularly within ASEAN-led frameworks.
Deputy Minister Chiến expressed Vietnam’s commitment to further enhancing cooperation in these areas, extending invitations for senior RoK officers to attend training courses at the National Defence Academy and Vietnamese language programs at the Military Science Academy in Vietnam. He conveyed gratitude to the RoK Government for its generous support of $34 million towards two projects aimed at addressing wartime bomb clearance in Vietnam.
In response, Deputy Minister Kim reaffirmed the RoK’s eagerness to expand defence collaboration with Vietnam, advocating for the continuation of existing joint activities and exploration of new cooperation avenues based on the enduring friendship between the two countries.
During the dialogue, officials exchanged perspectives on global and regional developments of mutual interest. Deputy Minister Chiến reiterated Vietnam’s steadfast commitment to resolving disputes in the East Sea (South China Sea) through peaceful means, in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), ASEAN principles on the East Sea, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), and the pursuit of substantive negotiations towards a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC).
Regarding the Korean Peninsula, Vietnam reaffirmed its stance against weapons of mass destruction proliferation, advocating for denuclearisation and peaceful resolution of issues through dialogue.
The dialogue concluded with the signing of the meeting’s minutes, underscoring the commitment of both Vietnam and the Republic of Korea to advancing mutual understanding, cooperation, and regional stability through defence policy dialogue.
This dialogue reflects the enduring and expanding partnership between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea, contributing to regional security and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.
