Vietnamese Minister of Defence Gen. Phan Văn Giang and Slovak Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Robert Kalinak review the guards of honour during the official welcome ceremony for the latter in Hà Nội on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Trọng Đức

HÀ NỘI — Slovak Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Robert Kalinak underscored the long-standing ties between Việt Nam and Slovakia as he met Việt Nam’s Minister of National Defence General Phan Văn Giang on Tuesday.

Kalinak is on an official visit to Việt Nam from November 18 to 20, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries (1950–2025).

Việt Nam’s defence minister Giang expressed confidence that the visit would strengthen bilateral defence cooperation for the benefit of both countries and support peace, stability and shared development in the region and worldwide.

Emphasising the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between the two countries, minister Giang said Việt Nam always values Slovakia’s support during the struggle for national independence and reunification, as well as in today’s national development and global integration.

Despite geographical distance, the two countries still have significant potential for cooperation in all areas, including defence, he added.

In recent years, the two defence ministries have implemented their 2015 memorandum of understanding on bilateral defence cooperation, yielding positive results.

Minister Giang stressed that Việt Nam is steadfast in its “four no’s” defence policy, meaning no participation in military alliances, no siding with one country against another, no foreign military bases or use of Vietnamese territory against other countries, and no use or threat of force in international relations.

Việt Nam hopes to expand both bilateral and multilateral defence cooperation based on equality, mutual respect and shared interests, maintaining peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and globally, he said.

The Vietnamese defence leader proposed that the two countries continue to promote defence cooperation in line with their strong, growing ties. Key areas include delegation exchanges and cooperation mechanisms to enhance mutual understanding and accelerate collaboration.

Slovakia’s Deputy Prime Minister and defence minister Kalinak agreed with Việt Nam’s proposal to appoint a defence attaché in the Southeast Asian country to facilitate the cooperation activities the two sides have agreed upon.

The two sides also agreed to promote training cooperation and share experiences in United Nations peacekeeping missions. They will explore collaboration in the defence industry, cybersecurity, mine clearance, war consequence remediation, and responses to non-traditional security challenges.

The Việt Nam–EU cooperation framework also serves as a basis for cooperation between Việt Nam and Slovakia.

On this occasion, Việt Nam’s defence minister Giang invited Slovak defence industry officials and businesses to attend the third Việt Nam International Defence Expo, expected at the end of 2026.— VNS