Việt Nam, Thailand pledge to deepen military ties

Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army and Deputy Minister of National Defence Gen. Nguyễn Tân Cương (right) meets with Chief of Defence Forces of Thailand Gen. Songwit Noonpackdee on Friday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army and Deputy Minister of National Defence Gen. Nguyễn Tân Cương and Chief of Defence Forces of Thailand Gen. Songwit Noonpackdee agreed to deepen their defence cooperation during talks in Hà Nội on July 4.

The talks took place right after the welcome ceremony for the Thai guest, who is on Việt Nam visit from July 4-5.

Cương, who is also a standing member of the Central Military Commission, described defence cooperation as a key pillar of the Việt Nam-Thailand comprehensive strategic partnership and underscored ASEAN's critical role in shaping and maintaining regional security architecture, while also promoting substantive cooperation among member states, and between ASEAN and partners.

Việt Nam values cooperative ties with ASEAN member states, including Thailand, for the sake of peace, stability, and development in the region and the world, he said.

He expressed satisfaction with the deep, practical and effective development of bilateral defence ties, notably the exchange of all-level delegations. He also noted the effective operation of cooperation mechanisms, including the defence policy dialogue, personnel training, officer exchanges, collaboration between military branches, as well as mutual support and consultation at multilateral forums and regional frameworks.

Looking forward, Cương proposed increasing delegation exchanges, leveraging existing cooperation mechanisms, and fostering more practical and effective collaboration, particularly in maritime law enforcement. He also called for enhanced defence training and exploration of other potential areas, alongside closer consultation and mutual support at multilateral forums and international events hosted by each side.

As for global and regional issues of mutual concern, he affirmed Việt Nam’s consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, and development, along with diversification and multilateralisation of external relations. He also reaffirmed the country's adherence to the "Four No’s" defence policy (no military alliances, no siding with one country against another, no foreign military bases, and no using Việt Nam's territory to counter other countries).

Regarding the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) issue, Cương repeated Việt Nam’s position that all disputes must be settled through peaceful means in line with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), along with regional agreements such as the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC). He also expressed the country’s support for early conclusion of a practical and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

Noonpackdee, for his part, spoke highly of Việt Nam’s "Four No’s" defence policy and reaffirmed Thailand’s support for resolving disputes through peaceful means in accordance with international law.

He expressed his hope that bilateral defence ties would continue to deepen in a practical and effective manner in the coming time. — VNS