General Nguyen Tan Cuong, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) and Deputy Minister of National Defence (C) and heads of ASEAN delegations to the first ASEAN Military Intelligence Community Leaders' Conference (AMICLC-1) in Hanoi. (Photo: qdnd.vn)

HÀ NỘI – General Nguyễn Tân Cưong, Chief of the General Staff of the Việt Nam People's Army (VPA) and Deputy Minister of National Defence, on Thursday received heads of ASEAN delegations who attended the first ASEAN Military Intelligence Community Leaders' Conference (AMICLC-1) in Hà Nội.

At the reception, Cương emphasised that the world and regional security environment is undergoing rapid, strong, and unpredictable changes. While non-traditional security challenges such as pandemics, climate change, natural disasters, and water security are increasingly fierce, traditional security issues are also becoming more complicated.

These challenges go beyond the scope and control of an individual country, affecting the security situation of each nation, the region, and the world. Therefore, it is necessary to have the cooperation of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)'s member countries in general as well as the role of military intelligence/defence leaders of ASEAN states in particular in responding promptly and ensuring a peaceful life for the people, Cuong said.

Informing Cương about the results of AMICLC-1, representatives of the delegations said that they had substantive discussions on emerging security issues as well as maintaining ASEAN's central role.

The conference unanimously approved the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) and Terms of Reference (TOR) for the operation of the ASEAN Military Intelligence Community (AMIC), and announced the launch of AMIC.

The success of the conference contributed to strengthening cooperation in the field of ASEAN military intelligence, thereby contributing to promoting peace, security and development in the region and the world.

On this occasion, the heads of the ASEAN delegations highly appreciated the organisation and congratulated the VPA on the success of AMICLC-1.

Cuong thanked the ASEAN member countries for supporting Việt Nam's AMIC initiative and praised the results of AMICLC-1. He emphasised that the contents discussed at AMICLC-1 reflected issues of common concern, proposed directions and forms of cooperation, and shared information to ensure ASEAN's central role in the current context.

AMICLC-1 also marked the official operation of AMIC to strengthen solidarity, mutual trust and consensus among the military forces of the ASEAN member countries.

The conference was a strong affirmation of the commitment of the ASEAN member countries in realising the goal of “ASEAN: One vision, one identity, one community”. This is also the goal that the Ministry of National Defence and the VPA always support for peace, stability and prosperity in the region. VNS