PANO – Vietnam attaches importance to its ties with Spain and hopes to enhance the bilateral cooperation, including defence ties, as consistent with the Vietnam-Spain strategic partnership.
Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defence, confirmed this during a meeting with Spanish Secretary of State for Defence Pedro Argüelles Salaverría on December 2nd at the headquarters of the Spanish Ministry of Defence.
General Vinh is leading a Defence Ministry delegation on a visit to Spain from December 2nd to 4th.
General Vinh thanked the host for their warm reception and conveyed the regards of Vietnamese Minister of National Defence, General Phung Quang Thanh, to the Spanish Minister of Defence.
He briefed the host on regional and Vietnamese socio-economic situations and highlighted the growing ties between Vietnam and Spain in different fields, especially since the two countries lifted their relations to a strategic partnership.
General Vinh suggested that the two sides should actively carry out their defence cooperation on the basis of the signed Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral defence cooperation in 2010, with a focus on exchanging delegations at all levels, cooperation among strategic research organs, training and sharing experience in conducting UN peacekeeping operations, unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance and defence industry.
The guest believed that the enhanced defence ties would positively contribute to boosting the friendship and mutual understanding between the two peoples and armies, conforming to each country’s interests.
For his part, Spanish Secretary of State for Defence Pedro Argüelles Salaverría highly appreciated the visit of the Vietnamese delegation and believed that the defence ties would be developing in accordance with the two countries’ strategic partnership.
The host held that Spain considered the implementation of signed defence cooperation agreements with other countries, including Vietnam, as an important task. In spite of defence budget cuts, the Spanish army continues fulfilling its domestic and international missions.
He agreed with the Vietnamese side’s suggestion on defence cooperation and stressed that the two sides should actively carry them out in the time to come.
“With experience in carrying out UN peacekeeping operations and UXO clearance, Spain is ready to share with and support Vietnam in these fields,” said the Spanish Secretary of State for Defence.
Earlier, the Vietnamese Defence Ministry delegation paid working visits to some Spanish army units.
Translated by Mai Huong
Đăng ký: VietNam News