Hanoi (VNA)ﷺ – US and French partners have expressed their hope to deepen relations with Vietnam in the fields of defence cooperation in general and defence industry in particular, while attending the Vietnam International Defence Expo 2024, being held in Hanoi from December 19-22.

Admiral Samuel J. Paparo, Commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command; Jedidiah Royal, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs; and US Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Knapper all showed their impressions with the expo’s opening ceremony. Regarding the message of "Peace - Cooperation - Shared Development” delivered by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh in his speech, Knapper said that this is strongly shared by the US, and the country hopes to deepen its friendship with Vietnam and enhance bilateral cooperation in this area. The US has sent a delegation of representatives from defence companies, with an unprecedented scale, to this year’s expo, which demonstrates the country's commitment to its relationship with the Southeast Asian nation, said the ambassador. For his part, Paparo said he is delighted at the strong development of the US-Vietnam relations in recent years, particularly the upgrade of the relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace, Cooperation, and Sustainable Development in September 2023. He stated that this is a great source of pride for both the US and Vietnam. According to the Admiral, in the field of defence, the two countries have had close cooperation across various areas and tasks, and have worked together to build capacity. Cooperation in enhancing capacities benefits both countries and does not undermine the sovereignty or rights of any nation in the region, he affirmed, assessing that Vietnam plays an equal role alongside all other nations. Vietnam is independent, and able to protect its own interests, and contributes to the international community. In addition, it has participated in humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and military medicine, and has contributed to promoting the central role of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and advocated for a rules-based international order, which supports stability, independence, and development in the region, he added. Meanwhile, Royal confirmed that the US always welcomes opportunities for stronger cooperation with Vietnam and other countries in the region, both bilaterally and multilaterally. French Ambassador to Vietnam Olivier Brochet stated that the Vietnam International Defence Expo 2024 continues to demonstrate the desire to affirm the capabilities of Vietnam's defence industry, following its successful debut in 2022. This event provides an opportunity to strengthen military and defence cooperation between Vietnam and other countries. He said France's participation in this expo is aimed at contributing to the realisation of the directions set by Vietnamese Party General Secretary and then State President To Lam and French President Emmanuel Macron, when they announced the elevation of their bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in October 2024. Specifically, both sides were committed to developing defence relations to enhance self-reliance in line with the needs of each side. To achieve this goal, they decided to create new momentum for cooperation in the defence industry through research, proposal, and implementation of structural projects. Recognising the great potential of Vietnam's defence industry and its important role in the modernisation of the Vietnam People's Army, the diplomat emphasised that French defence companies are ready to partner with Vietnamese defence enterprises in this effort. He also expressed his confidence that there will be significant opportunities for defence industry cooperation between the two sides./.