Vietnamese, Indonesian defence chiefs discuss South China Sea, maritime information sharing

Vietnamese Minister of National Defence General Phan Văn Giang and his Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto review the honor guard of the Việt Nam People’s Army in the capital city of Hà Nội on Friday. — VNA/- VnExpress News Photo Trọng Đức

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese Minister of National Defence General Phan Văn Giang met his Indonesian counterpart Prabowo Subianto on Friday in Hà Nội and suggested the two countries strengthen the sharing of maritime information.

The three-day trip by Indonesian Defence Minister Prabowo Subianto started on Thursday. It is his first trip to Việt Nam since he took office in October 2019.

The Indonesian minister said that Indonesia always attaches importance to its relationship with Việt Nam.

The two sides agreed that defence cooperation between Việt Nam and Indonesia has been promoted by both sides, and achieved many positive results.

Based on the Memorandum of Understanding between the governments of the two countries, on enhancing cooperation between defence officials and related activities signed in 2010 and the Joint Vision Statement between the two defence ministries on defence cooperation in 2017-2022, the two sides have effectively coordinated to conduct such cooperation activities as dialogue, consultation, exchange of delegations, training, cooperation between research institutes and in multilateral forums.

Since the end of 2019, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, defence cooperation between the two countries has continued to be promoted.

The two sides have maintained dialogue and cooperation mechanisms online, signed cooperation documents between the Navy and Coast Guard of the two countries and cooperation in training human resources.

They also agreed to continue to cooperate in fields that the two sides had signed.

Việt Nam and Indonesia affirmed the necessity of maintaining a peaceful, stable, secure and safe environment for navigation and aviation in the South China Sea (known in Việt Nam as the East Sea) in compliance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

They also emphasised the need to effectively implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and complete the signing of a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC) following international law. 

At the talks, the Vietnamese Defence Minister Giang suggested that the two countries’ maritime law enforcement agencies strengthen coordination in exchanging information and handling issues arising at sea based on conformity with the strategic partnership between the two countries and the spirit of humane treatment of fishermen.

On this occasion, Minister Giang invited leaders of the Indonesian Ministry of Defence to attend and invited defence enterprises to exhibit products at the first International Defence Exhibition slated to be held in Việt Nam in December this year.

Within the framework of the visit to Việt Nam, the Indonesian delegation will pay a courtesy visit to President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc and participate in a number of activities within the framework of the 31st Southeast Asian Games. — – VnExpress News