Vietnam, France look to stronger defence cooperation

Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang received French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu in Hanoi on May 5.

Talks were held between Vietnamese Minister of Defence General Phan Van Giang and French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu following a welcome ceremony for the French military official and his delegation at the Hanoi-based headquarters of the defence ministry on May 5.

Vietnamese Minister of Defence General Phan Van Giang (R) and French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu

The French delegation is on a Vietnam visit to attend a grand ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory over French colonialism set to take place on May 7 in Dien Bien province.

At the talks, Minister Giang highlighted the significance of Minister Sébastien Lecornu's visit as a contribution to further enhancing bilateral defence cooperation, and it demonstrates the spirit of "closing the past, looking forward to a bright future", for the development cooperation between the two countries, two peoples. He expressed Vietnam’s appreciation for the Strategic Partnership with France.

According to Minister Giang, the Vietnam-France Strategic Partnership has been developing unceasingly both in depth and scope, diversifying across multiple fields, including defence cooperation.

Based on the Joint Vision Statement on Vietnam-France Defence Cooperation for the 2018- 2028 period and the Amended Agreement on Vietnam-France Defence Cooperation, defence cooperation between the two nations has achieved many positive results in a multitude of fields, including delegation exchange, dialogue and consultation mechanisms, training, defence industry, military medicine, sharing historical archives, overcoming war consequences, United Nations peacekeeping efforts, consulting and supporting each other at multilateral forums and mechanisms.

Minister Giang suggested both sides continue to step up efforts in the time ahead to promote these cooperation areas, and actively discuss in a bid to soon reach an agreement on the Vietnam-France Defence Cooperation Programme for the 2025-2208 period.

In response, the French defence minister emphasized the important significance of the visit, highlighting the importance of cooperation in sharing historical memories and overcoming war consequences between the two countries.

Minister Sébastien Lecornu expressed his desire for both sides to continue to make greater efforts to deepen defence ties to a level commensurate with the Vietnam-France Strategic Partnership.

At the talks, both sides also compared notes on regional and international issues of shared concern.

Regarding maritime issues, the two sides laid stress on the importance of peace, security, stability, freedom of navigation, overflight and settlement of disputes through peaceful means, in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), and moving towards an effective and substantial Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC).

At the end of the talks, the two military officials signed a Letter of Intent to augment Vietnam-France defence cooperation in the time to come.