Vietnam, Canada hold bilateral defence consultation

Hanoi (VNA) – The 2021 Vietnam - Canada defence consultation took place via videoconference on July 7, highlighting that defence cooperation has been carried out effectively and reaped encouraging outcomes, the Quan doi Nhan dan (People’s Army) daily reported.

The Vietnamese delegation included Lt. Gen. Vu Chien Thang, Director of the Foreign Relations Department at the Ministry of National Defence, along with representatives of the ministry’s agencies, and the military attaché of Vietnam to the US and Canada.

The Canadian side was led by Assistant Deputy Minister (Policy) at the Department of National Defence Peter Hammerschmidt, who was joined by the military attaché of Canada to Vietnam.

The officials affirmed that defence cooperation between the two countries has continually received attention from the two ministries’ leaders and been implemented fruitfully.

They agreed to maintain the annual defence consultation and defence policy dialogue, increase high-level meetings, while strengthening ties in personnel training, UN peacekeeping operations, and maritime security.

Thang expressed his hope that the Canadian Department of National Defence will pay attention to and support the cooperation fields Vietnam has demand for such as war aftermath settlement, defence industry, military medicine, humanitarian aid, and disaster relief.

He stressed that Vietnam will back Canada, on the basis of ASEAN’s consensus principle, when the latter takes part in the bloc’s cooperation mechanisms.

At the consultation, the two sides also discussed and reached an agreement on the defence cooperation plan for 2021 - 2023, as well as the preparations for the Vietnam - Canada defence policy dialogue at the deputy ministerial level this year./.