Within the framework of his visit to the Russian Federation to attend the ARMY-2024 International Military Technical Forum, on August 13, General Phan Van Giang, Politburo member, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission, Minister of National Defense, held talks with Russian Minister of Defense Andrey Removich Belousov.

According to the VNA correspondent in the Russian Federation, at the talks, Minister Phan Van Giang emphasized that this visit by the high-ranking delegation of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense aims to concretize the policy of "deepening" the traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership agreed upon by the two countries' senior leaders during the State visit of the President of the Russian Federation to Vietnam in June 2024.

Minister Phan Van Giang affirmed that Vietnam has always been consistent in its foreign policy of “independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship and development cooperation, multilateralization and diversification of relations; being a friend, a reliable partner and an active and responsible member of the international community;” consistently and faithfully in international relations, valuing neighborly relations and traditional friendship with other countries. Among them, it is impossible not to mention the good traditional friendship between Vietnam and the Russian Federation.

Minister Phan Van Giang clearly stated Vietnam's "4 no's" defense viewpoint and policy, aiming at peace, self-defense, and protecting the Fatherland early and from afar.

Minister Phan Van Giang emphasized that the people and the Vietnam People's Army always remember the wholehearted and righteous assistance that the Russian Federation gave Vietnam in the past struggle for national reunification and in the future cause of national construction and defense.

The inauguration of the Monument to Vietnamese International Volunteers who fought to protect the capital Moscow during the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945) is a symbol and testament to the traditional relationship between the two countries, in which defense cooperation is an important pillar.

Minister Phan Van Giang highly appreciated the preparation and organization of the Army-2024 International Military Technical Forum by the Russian Ministry of Defense and believed that the success of the forum would further strengthen the prestige and position of the Russian Ministry of Defense in particular and of Russia in general.

In December 2024, the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense will celebrate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People's Army and the Vietnam International Defense Exhibition 2024. Minister Phan Van Giang respectfully invites the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation to attend and hopes to receive support and active participation from the leaders of the Russian Ministry of Defense and Russian defense enterprises.

Minister Andrey Removich Belousov emphasized the long-standing traditional friendship between Vietnam and the Russian Federation, and highly appreciated and attached importance to the policy of deepening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, which was determined during the recent State visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Vietnam.

Minister Andrey Removich Belousov affirmed his readiness to consider cooperation proposals from the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense, especially in training cooperation and cooperation between agencies and units; and agreed to promote the signing of cooperation documents between the two sides in the coming time.

In addition, Minister Andrey Removich Belousov supported promoting cooperation in new areas in accordance with the capabilities and conditions of each country.

At the talks, the two sides discussed the world and regional situations and issues of mutual concern.

In resolving the East Sea issue, Minister Phan Van Giang emphasized Vietnam's consistent stance of persistently resolving all disputes and disagreements by peaceful means, on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS); international and regional commitments such as the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC); supporting the early signing of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC) that is more substantive, effective and legally binding.

Regarding bilateral cooperation, the two Ministers assessed that, over the past time, on the basis of the good traditional friendship, comprehensive strategic partnership, and the attention of the two countries' senior leaders, bilateral defense cooperation has continued to be implemented in the spirit of "trust, practicality, efficiency, and comprehensiveness," in accordance with cooperation documents and agreements, especially the Joint Vision Statement on Vietnam-Russia Defense Cooperation for the 2020-2025 period, achieving many important and outstanding results in the following areas: exchanging delegations at all levels; effectively maintaining cooperation mechanisms, especially the defense strategic dialogue mechanism at the Deputy Minister of National Defense level; training; military-service cooperation; effective coordination and consultation at international multilateral defense mechanisms and forums, especially those led by ASEAN, including ADMM+...

Minister Phan Van Giang highly appreciated the interest and participation of the Russian Ministry of Defense in scientific research cooperation within the framework of the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Center, contributing significantly to the development of the Center into a regional scientific research facility, worthy of being a symbol of cooperation between the two countries.

Regarding the direction of cooperation in the coming time, the two Ministers agreed that the two sides will continue to coordinate to promote defense cooperation, focusing on a number of areas: exchanging delegations at all levels; continuing to effectively maintain existing cooperation mechanisms; training human resources; cooperation between military branches; scientific research cooperation within the framework of the Vietnam-Russia Tropical Center; effective coordination and consultation at multilateral mechanisms and forums; military-political cooperation on the basis of the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People's Army and the General Department of Military Politics of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation; promoting the completion of the dossier "70 years of Vietnam-Soviet Union/Russian Federation defense cooperation 1950-2020".../.