Minister of National Defence Phan Văn Giang (left) welcomed Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Indonesia in Hà Nội on July 30. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — General Phan Văn Giang, Politburo member, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission and Minister of National Defence, hosted a welcome ceremony for Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Indonesia in Hà Nội on Wednesday.

During their talks, General Giang emphasised that Việt Nam and Indonesia are neighbouring countries sharing a maritime border, and are active, responsible members of the ASEAN Community.

He noted that the upgrading of bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in March 2025 marked a historic milestone, opening a new chapter in the two countries’ relations, in which political, defence and security cooperation areas are key pillars.

In recent years, bilateral defence cooperation has yielded positive results and made important contributions to enhancing political trust between the two nations, he said.

He mentioned key highlights, including regular exchanges of delegations and high-level contacts, close cooperation between military services and maritime law enforcement forces, and progress in UN peacekeeping cooperation and strategic research institution exchanges.

The two countries have been active in mutual consultation and supported each other at multilateral forums, especially ASEAN-led mechanisms and international events hosted by either side.

General Giang congratulated Indonesia on the successful organisation of the 10th Indonesia International Defence Expo in June 2025 and expressed appreciation for Indonesia’s participation in the Việt Nam International Defence Expo 2024.

He proposed that the two sides continue to strengthen their comprehensive, substantive and trustworthy cooperation in the future, focusing on delegation exchanges, high-level meetings, optimising existing cooperation mechanisms.

Highlighting the trusted nature of bilateral defence cooperation, Minister Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin affirmed that this visit marks an important milestone in Indonesia-Việt Nam relations.

He also proposed that the two defence ministries further advance cooperation in line with the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework established during the State visit to Indonesia by Party General Secretary Tô Lâm in March 2025.

During the talks, the two ministers also exchanged views on global and regional issues of mutual concern.

General Giang reaffirmed Việt Nam’s consistent stance of resolving all disputes in the East Sea (internationally known as South China Sea) through peaceful means and in accordance with international law. — VNS