Vietnamese Minister of National Defence General Phan Văn Giang (left) and his Turkish counterpart Yasar Guler reviewed the guard of honour during a welcome ceremony on September 11 at the headquarters of Việt Nam’s Ministry of National Defence in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — General Phan Văn Giang, Politburo member and Minister of National Defence of Việt Nam, on Thursday hosted a welcome ceremony for and held official talks with Turkish counterpart Yasar Guler, who is on a two-day visit to Việt Nam.

Welcoming the Turkish delegation, General Giang said that the visit by Minister Guler holds significance as it marks a practical step towards implementing commitments to strengthen defence cooperation outlined in the Việt Nam– Türkiye Joint Statement made during Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính’s official visit to Türkiye in November 2023.

General Giang noted that nearly five decades after the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1978, the friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Việt Nam and Türkiye have been steadily reinforced and developed, with substantial room for further collaboration, particularly in the field of defence.

During the talks, both sides exchanged views on global and regional developments and issues of mutual concern. General Giang reiterated Việt Nam’s consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, and of diversifying and multilateralising international relations, as well as the country’s "four no's" defence policy.

He reaffirmed Việt Nam’s stance of settling disputes through peaceful means, in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and upholding commitments under regional mechanisms such as the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. He also expressed support for the early conclusion of a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.

Highlighting recent progress, General Giang noted that defence cooperation between the two countries has achieved encouraging outcomes in areas including high-level exchanges, training, defence industry, military trade, United Nations peacekeeping operations and multilateral cooperation. He also expressed appreciation for joint efforts in establishing resident defence attaché offices in each country.

Talks between Vietnamese and Turkish defence ministers were held on September 11. — VNA/VNS Photo

The Vietnamese defence chief proposed that the two sides effectively implement the Defence Cooperation Agreement signed in July 2025, focusing on maintaining delegation exchanges, expanding training and defence industry collaboration, enhancing cooperation in peacekeeping and strengthening coordination at multilateral forums. He also suggested exploring cooperation in new areas, such as navy, air force, cybersecurity, non-traditional security challenges, engineering and mine clearance.

General Giang thanked Minister Guler for sending a delegation led by the Turkish Deputy Defence Minister along with 11 leading defence industry enterprises to the Việt Nam Defence Expo 2024, contributing to the event’s success. He welcomed Turkish defence industry enterprises to continue showcasing products at future editions of the expo.

For his part, Minister Yasar Guler thanked Việt Nam’s Ministry of National Defence for the warm reception and extended congratulations on the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day of the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam.

Confirming that Việt Nam is an important partner for Türkiye in the Asia-Pacific region, Minister Guler said PM Chính’s visit to Türkiye in 2023 gave strong momentum to bilateral ties. He expressed his wish for further cooperation in all fields, particularly defence.

The Turkish official expressed confidence that his visit would make important contributions to the development of bilateral relations.

He welcomed recent progress in training cooperation, including Türkiye's decision to, for the first time, send an officer to study at Việt Nam’s National Defence Academy, and to continue dispatching officers for Vietnamese language training at the Military Science Academy. Türkiye also stands ready to receive Vietnamese officers and cadets at training programmes in Türkiye.

Minister Guler further underscored the importance of establishing resident defence attaché offices in both countries as a practical step to boost bilateral defence cooperation. — VNS