Vietnam-Brunei: Exploring new areas for defense cooperation development
WVR - The meeting between the leaders of the Vietnam and Brunei Ministries of Defense affirmed the growth in defense cooperation between the two countries, while also opening up new avenues for collaboration.
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| General Nguyen Tan Cuong, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, Deputy Minister of Defense, welcomes Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi Bin Bol Hassan, Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
On the morning of September 17, at the Ministry of Defense headquarters, General Nguyen Tan Cuong, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army and Deputy Minister of Defense, held talks with Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi Bin Bol Hassan, Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces.
During the talks, General Nguyen Tan Cuong assessed that the visit of Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi Bin Bol Hassan, Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces to Vietnam, takes place as bilateral relations between Vietnam and Brunei are increasingly strengthened. He expressed confidence that the talks would achieve a common understanding, contributing to making the cooperation between the two armies more substantive and effective.
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| General Nguyen Tan Cuong, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, Deputy Minister of Defense, and Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi Bin Bol Hassan, Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces at the welcoming ceremony. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
Discussing global and regional situations and issues of mutual concern, General Nguyen Tan Cuong emphasized ASEAN's crucial role in shaping and maintaining regional security architecture, promoting substantive cooperation among member countries, and between ASEAN and its partners. He also praised the strategic document “ADMM and ADMM Ready for the Future” developed by Brunei and Singapore, which was approved by the ADMM in 2024, and the “Underwater Critical Infrastructure Security” initiative jointly proposed by Brunei, Singapore, and Thailand in 2025.
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| General Nguyen Tan Cuong and Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi Bin Bol Hassan review the honor guard. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
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Regarding the East Sea situation, the Ministry of Defense leaders hope Brunei will continue to coordinate in promoting ASEAN's stance of resolving all disputes in the East Sea through peaceful means, in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. They aim for the effective and full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and the early conclusion and signing of an effective and efficient Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea, in line with international law.
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| General Nguyen Tan Cuong introduces the Vietnamese delegation to Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi Bin Bol Hassan. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
General Nguyen Tan Cuong also expressed his pleasure at the results of military and defense cooperation between the two countries in recent times, notably in areas such as delegation exchanges at all levels, consultation mechanisms between the two navies and air forces, ship visits, professional exchanges, training, and mutual support at multilateral forums, especially those led by ASEAN and international events organized by each side.
The Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army thanked Brunei for sending a high-level delegation led by the Second Minister of Defense to attend the 80th Anniversary of the Vietnam People's Army and the 2nd Vietnam International Defense Expo in December 2024.
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| Both sides expressed satisfaction with the military and defense cooperation results between the two countries in recent times. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
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| Both sides agreed to enhance defense cooperation between the two countries in the future. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
For future cooperation, Deputy Minister Nguyen Tan Cuong proposed that both sides continue to coordinate effectively in several areas, such as maintaining delegation exchanges at all levels, especially high-level delegations and cooperation mechanisms like consultations between military branches and the Joint Working Group on military and defense cooperation. They should also promote training cooperation, expand collaboration in potential areas like defense industry, logistics, military medicine, search and rescue, counter-terrorism, and cybersecurity. Furthermore, they should continue to consult closely and support each other at multilateral mechanisms, forums, and international events organized by each side.
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| The delegations of both countries take a group photo. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi Bin Bol Hassan, Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, expressed gratitude for the warm welcome from General Nguyen Tan Cuong and believed that this visit to Vietnam would yield positive results.
He recalled the meeting with General Nguyen Tan Cuong at the ASEAN Chiefs of Defense Forces Meeting earlier this September, noting that both sides discussed various aspects of the bilateral defense relationship.
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| General Nguyen Tan Cuong and Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi Bin Bol Hassan conduct talks. (Photo: Nguyen Hong) |
Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Muhammad Haszaimi Bin Bol Hassan also recalled his visit to Vietnam and participation in the Vietnam International Defense Expo 2022, expressing his deep impression of Vietnam's performances at the expo. He also congratulated Vietnam on its National Day, highlighting the country's international standing.
Agreeing with the points raised by General Nguyen Tan Cuong during the talks, the Commander of the Royal Brunei Armed Forces suggested that both sides explore new areas of cooperation where they have potential and demand, further promoting the bilateral relationship in the future.
