Deputy Minister of Public Security of Việt Nam, Lieutenant General Phạm Thế Tùng (left) and Deputy Director of Indonesia's National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) Andhika Chrisnayudhanto at their meeting on June 18. — VNA/VNS Photo

JAKARTA — Việt Nam and Indonesia reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in combating terrorism, as senior officials from both nations convened in Jakarta on Wednesday for the second joint working group meeting on the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on counterterrorism cooperation.

The event was co-chaired by Lieutenant General Phạm Thế Tùng, Deputy Minister of Public Security of Việt Nam, and Deputy Director of Indonesia's National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) Andhika Chrisnayudhanto.

At the event, both sides reviewed the progress made since their first meeting in Hà Nội in December 2023 and exchanged notes on counterterrorism work in each country. The discussion focused on national counterterrorism strategies, combating radicalisation and violent extremism, cyberterrorism, the management of returning foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) and convicted terrorists, joint exercises and future collaborative efforts.

They concurred that terrorism remains a threat to peace, security, and stability across their respective nations, the broader region, and the international community, with terrorist groups exploiting global instability to spread propaganda, recruit followers, and expand operations.

Laying stress on the significance to staying vigilant against the threats, they affirmed that no single nation could effectively combat terrorism in isolation. Both countries committed to maintaining close communications through established counterterrorism hotlines and reinforcing their collaborative efforts through the implementation of provisions outlined in their MoU.

Tung underscored that the MoU is a vivid demonstration for the close cooperation between the two sides, providing a ground to upgrade their partnership to a new high and to a deeper and more effective manner.

The Deputy Minister affirmed that the outcomes of the second meeting will contribute to the strategic partnership between Việt Nam and Indonesia as well as to regional peace and security. — VNA/VNS