PM Phuc vows to facilitate defense cooperation with Cambodia, Laos

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (right) and Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Tea Banh at the Government Office in Ha Noi on December 19, 2019. Photo: VGP

PM Phuc made the above statement Thursday at his reception for Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Tea Ban and Lao Minister of Defense Chansamon Chanyalat who are in Viet Nam to attend the 75^th anniversary of Viet Nam People’s Army (December 22, 2019).

History has shown that the three neighboring countries share the natural need to consolidate and strengthen their bilateral friendship and in fact, the relationship between the nations have been further expanded across various fields on the basis of respect for independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, equality and mutual benefits, Phuc said.

Along with regional and global complicated and unforeseeable developments, all the three countries will be affected by common challenges like trans-national crime, human trafficking, free migration, cross-border smuggling, and especially sabotages activities by hostile forces.

The above reality requires the sides to foster cooperation, particularly in defense and security to maintain peaceful and stable environment for national development in respective countries, emphasized Phuc.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc (right) and Lao Minister of Defense Chansamon Chanyalat at the Government Office in Ha Noi on December 19, 2019. Photo: VGP

He spoke highly of the active consultation and mutual support between defense ministers of the three countries at regional and multilateral forums, especially within ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting and ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus mechanisms, so that the three countries have common voices, thus better contributing to the regional mechanisms and improving the position and role of each country.

Phuc welcomed the outcomes of exchanges between the three defense ministers, asking them to continue promoting their active role in implementing the reached agreements and developing new forms of effective cooperation to contribute to peace and stability in the region.

He took the occasion to extend greetings to Lao Prime Minister Thoonglun Sisouthlit and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and other Government leaders of the two neighboring countries.

For their part, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Tea Banh and Lao Minister of Defense Chansamon Chanyalat expressed their honor and pleasure to attend the 75^th anniversary of the Viet Nam People’s Army and to meet with Vietnamese friends again./.

By Kim Anh