Vientiane (VNA)ꦬ – A high-ranking Vietnamese delegation led by Vice Secretary of the Central Military Commission and Minister of National Defence Gen. Phan Van Giang attended the ASEAN-US Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting in Vientiane, Laos, on November 20.

The event was co-chaired by Lao Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Gen. Chansamone Chanyalath and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin. In his address, Giang underlined the increasingly substantive and effective defence cooperation between ASEAN and the US, noting that the US has regularly proposed holding informal meetings with ASEAN defence ministers, actively joined the seven ADMM+ Experts’ Working Groups, and proactively initiated efforts to enhance cooperation and build capacity for ASEAN member states. The Vietnamese Defence Ministry highly values the effectiveness and practicality of the US-proposed activities, which are crucial for regional peace, security and self-resilience, as well as the common development of ASEAN member countries, he said. With the fifth cycle of the ADMM+ Experts’ Working Groups underway, Giang reaffirmed the commitment of all parties to promoting dialogue, building trust and making substantive contributions to maintaining regional peace and stability. This includes consolidating cooperation in the seven areas outlined in the 2022 ASEAN-US Leaders' Statement on the establishment of a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in 2022. Expressing confidence in the successful co-chairing of the ADMM+ Experts’ Working Group on Military Medicine by the US and Indonesia in this cycle, Giang reiterated Vietnam’s support for and active involvement in US-ASEAN cooperation activities, particularly within the ADMM+ framework. Austin expressed the US’s desire to further enhance practical and effective defence collaboration with ASEAN for the sake of regional peace and security. In reply, ASEAN defence ministers affirmed their readiness to collaborate with the US and other partners to navigate security challenges, both traditional and non-traditional. On the sidelines of the 18th ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM-18) and the 11th ADMM+ meeting in Vientiane, Giang held a bilateral meeting with Lieut. Gen Domingos Raul, Chief of Defence of Timor Leste. Both sides acknowledged the positive initial results of Vietnam-Timor Leste defence ties, including meetings between leaders of the two defence ministries during multilateral events. A notable example of successful cooperation is the Military Industry-Telecommunications Group (Viettel), which operates in Timor-Leste under the brand Telemor. It has emerged as one of the largest telecom providers in the country, boasting coverage of up to 96%. Minister Giang wished for enhanced cooperation in areas that align with the needs and capabilities of both countries, and support for Viettel's increasingly effective operations in Timor-Leste. On the sidelines of ADMM-18, he also engaged with his counterparts from Cambodia, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand and Brunei, discussing measures to reinforce defence ties./.