Vietnam attends SASEAN defence dialogue in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur, December 8 (VNA) – A Vietnamese delegation led by Vice Admiral Pham Ngoc Minh, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army is attending a dialogue of defense chiefs of the South and Southeast Asian Nations (SASEAN) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on December 7-8. Representatives from Brunei, Laos, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, are joining the event, while those from China, Russia and the US are present at the event as observers. In his opening speech, Malaysian Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the dialogue focuses on extremism prevention and disaster relief, stressing joint efforts to solve the issues with a view to maintaining security and stability in the region. This year’s SASEAN Defense Chiefs' Dialogue aims to enhance security and defence cooperation between armed forces of the ten ASEAN member nations and those from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) through activities at bilateral and multilateral levels. The parties will share experience and information through training, military and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR). Speaking at the event, Vice Admiral Minh praised the role played by armed forces in solving and minimising disaster consequences, while suggesting ways to promote links in fighting disasters. He said it is necessary to continue studies and enhance cooperation mechanisms among ASEAN nations in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and effectively deploy quick-response forces in local and regional assistance. The nations should intensify joint practices and the sharing of experience in the field, he added. Since 2014, the Vietnam People’s Army has established five HADR groups, including those specialising in army medicine, rescue and research at sea, and environmental protection, he said./.