Saudi defense minister

The meeting was co-chaired by Pehin Datu Lailaraja Major General (Rtd) Dato Paduka Seri Haji Awang Halbi bin Haji Mohd Yussof, Minister of Defence II of Brunei Darussalam and Chinese Defense Minister Senior Lieutenant General Wei Fenghe. The Vietnamese delegation was led by Defense Minister Sr. Lt. Gen. Phan Van Giang. In his opening remarks, the Bruneian official stressed that the organization of this informal meeting amid the complicated development of COVID-19 demonstrates the friendly ties and high determination of ASEAN and the bloc’s old partner China. The meeting took place as ASEAN and China have been celebrating 30 years of dialogue relations (1991-2021). According to the Bruneian official, at the Special ASEAN - China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in Chongqing, China on June 7, delegates reviewed milestones and achievements of the ASEAN - China dialogue relations over the past three decades. They agreed that both sides would develop creative approaches to promote their cooperation in the future. He added that the COVID-19 pandemic continues to test both sides’ resilience to boost regional cooperation and stressed that with the cooperation, countries will control the pandemic and cope with regional security challenges. At the meeting, delegates reviewed the good results of the ASEAN-China defense cooperation, proposed ideas for bilateral defense ties, and exchanged viewpoints on regional and global situations of common concern. In his speech, Vietnamese Defense Minister Phan Van Giang stressed the importance of the ASEAN - China cooperation to the peace and stability of the region. He highly valued China’s role and the ASEAN - China defense-security cooperation in the past, especially within the frameworks of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus) and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). The Vietnamese defense chief also voiced his support for China’s proposals on increasing mutual understanding and trust through young officer …

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Rear Admiral Tran Thanh Nghiem, Chief of the Navy, hosted the reception for the mission. At the meeting, the mission was briefed on the Navy’s performance of technical services in the first half of this year. Specifically, the naval technical sector directed naval units to closely follow the Navy’s missions, ensure safety for depots and facilities, and comprehensively ensure technical services for vessels, aircraft and other vehicles in training and drills at sea. In his concluding speech, General Vinh hailed the Navy for surmounting difficulties and effectively carrying out solutions to ensure technical services for missions so as to meet units’ requirements for training, combat readiness, and safeguarding national sovereignty over seas and islands. He also analyzed advantages and disadvantages directly impacting the implementation of protecting national sovereignty over seas and islands and higher requirements in technical service guarantee. He asked the Navy and the naval technical sector to develop practical approaches to improve the efficiency of technical services for units to achieve their assigned missions. Regarding the Navy’s proposals on future technical services, the deputy defense minister tasked relevant agencies under the Defense Ministry and the General Department of Technical Services to collect  proposals and then report them to the Defense Ministry’s leaders for approval. * The same day, General Vinh visited the Naval Technical Institute, during which he highly praised the unit for their effective scientific and technological research and application. He asked the institute to continue mastering new generations of weapons and technical equipment, and update knowledge, as well as foster the growth of experts. Translated by Mai Huong …

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Addressing the 8th ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM+) held online, Minister of National Defense Phan Van Giang said peace, cooperation and stability were key to regional security, but there were security threats that need to be dealt with sooner than later. In particular, the East Sea, known internationally as the South China Sea, plays an important role in the global supply chain, Giang said, adding that relevant parties should cooperate with each other and carry out appropriate solutions to guarantee their legal rights. "Vietnam believes all relevant parties need to strictly abide by the principle that conflict resolution is based on peaceful methods in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea," Giang said, adding that an effective and practical COC for the South China Sea needs to be completed soon. A screenshot of the 8th ADMM+ meeting held online and participated by 18 defense ministers from several countries, including Vietnam, on June 16, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Hieu Duy. Authoritative forces at sea need to refrain from actions that escalate tension and complicate the situation, he said, adding that "fisherpeople need to be humanely treated under any circumstances at sea." The ADMM+ issued a joint statement of 18 defense ministers, stressing the importance of maintaining and promoting peace, security, stability, prosperity, safety and freedom of movement at sea and in the air to tackle maritime security challenges and resolve regional sea issues. The statement also acknowledged the existence of unprecedented security challenges like transnational cybersecurity issues and emergency medical issues, including natural disasters and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. …

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