Vietnamese Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Phan Van Giang (Photo: VNA)– Vietnamese Minister of National
Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Phan Van Giang delivered a speech on strategic views
on regional security at the second plenary session of the 9th Moscow
Conference on International Security on June 23.
The minister said Asia-Pacific has become momentum of
global growth and taken the lead in economic connectivity, which is also
the centre of the global strategy.
He, however, pointed to potential uncertainties in the
region, including traditional and non-traditional challenges such as
sovereignty and territory disputes, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction,
ethnic and religious conflicts, terrorism, cyber security, natural disasters,
and notably COVID-19.
Vietnam appreciates Russia’s role in the region, especially
in cooperation within the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+), as
well as proposals for multilateral cooperation between the country and ASEAN like the
ASEAN-Russia Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting and joint naval exercise,
Giang said.
He affirmed that Vietnam will maintain its defence
policy of peace and self-defence, and resolutely and persistently address all
disputes and conflicts, including the East Sea dispute, by peaceful measures in
line with international law and regional regulations.
The country will also play a more active role in
cooperation with foreign countries, including Russia, to protect a peaceful and
stable environment for national development and people's life, he continued.
Vietnam acknowledges values of peace, and will make
every effort to contribute to protecting peace, for the sake of itself and
other countries, the officer said.
The conference takes place virtually on June 23-24
under the chair of Russian Defence Minister General Sergey Shoygu.
With five plenary sessions, it focuses on strategic
stability: transformation and prospects; the Asia-Pacific region in the context
of global politics; military and military-technical cooperation in Africa and
the Middle East as a major factor in strengthening regional security; military
interaction as a tool for countering regional challenges and threats in Latin
America and the Western Hemisphere; and European security: trends and prospects.
There are also two thematic sessions on the role of
military agencies in fighting against the new coronavirus disease COVID-19, and information security: problems and
solutions./.