Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang (R) meets with visiting Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu in Hanoi, capital of Vietnam, Jan. 23, 2018. (Xinhua/VNA)
HANOI, Jan. 23 (Xinhua) -- Vietnamese and Russian defense ministers agreed here on Tuesday to share viewpoints on defense-security matters of mutual concern and boost coordination in traditional fields, including military technical cooperation, on a long-term and win-win basis.
During their talks on Tuesday in Hanoi, Vietnamese Minister of National Defense General Ngo Xuan Lich and his visiting Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu expressed their pleasure over the strong development of bilateral defense collaboration over the past time, Vietnam News Agency reported.
Along with the thriving comprehensive strategic partnership, the bilateral defense cooperation has been expanded and reinforced through all-level delegation exchange, military technical and naval cooperation, United Nations peacekeeping activities, and experience sharing in military law, history, art, culture, and sports.
The two sides have mapped out a plan for cooperation until 2020, with the focus on military technological and training cooperation and delegation exchanges to share experience in the defense field. Every year, the Russian side provides scholarships for officers of the Vietnamese defense ministry.
On Tuesday, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong received Sergei Shoigu, saying that Vietnam sees Russia as a prioritized partner in cooperation in military technology based on high trust and not aiming to act against a third country.
On the same day, Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang received the Russian defense minister, saying that cooperation in defense and military technology continues playing an important role in Vietnam-Russia relations.
