Deputy Defence Minister Senior Lieutenant General Hoàng Xuân Chiến (right) and Permanent Secretary at the UK Home Office Simon Ridley had talks in Hà Nội on March 4. — Photo from Việt NamPeople's Army newspaper

HÀ NỘI — Deputy Defence Minister Senior Lieutenant General Hoàng Xuân Chiến hosted Second Permanent Secretary at the UK Home Office Simon Ridley in Hà Nội on Tuesday.

Chiến said non-traditional security challenges, including human trafficking, have been a shared concern of the international community, as well as Vietnam and the UK in recent times.

Việt Nam considers combating human trafficking a crucial task to protect human rights in accordance with international law, including international conventions on human rights to which Việt Nam is a signatory, as well as to maintain security and social order in compliance with legal regulations, he said.

The officer appreciated the UK's cooperation with Việt Nam in combating human trafficking with various activities, such as delegation exchange, experience sharing, and English language teaching. Chien expressed his hope that the two sides will continue working together to effectively implement relevant cooperation agreements in this field.

For his part, Ridley spoke highly of collaboration between the UK Home Office and the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence.

He affirmed that Việt Nam is one of the Office’s key partners in the combat through multiple initiatives, with experience-sharing cooperation being a key focus that the UK is keen to promote.

Ridley pledged to work harder to enhance cooperation with Việt Nam in this effort, thereby contributing to the overall development of Việt Nam–UK relations and collaboration between the Defence Ministry and the Office in particular. — VNA/VNS