Vietnam Defense Minister Meets Australian Counterpart, Boosts Strategic Partnership

Vietnam's Minister of National Defense, General Phan Van Giang, met with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Richard Marles in Canberra. The high-level talks occurred during Vietnamese President To Lam's state visit to Australia, underscoring the deepening ties between the two nations.

Marles emphasized that the visit provides an opportunity to maintain the positive momentum of the Vietnam-Australia comprehensive strategic partnership, identifying defense cooperation as a crucial element. He expressed readiness to work with General Giang to boost bilateral defense activities, contributing to the robust relationship built on mutual respect and regional stability.

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This visit is an opportunity for both sides to continue to maintain the positive development momentum of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Australia, in which defense cooperation plays a vital role.

General Giang affirmed the significance of President To Lam's visit in propelling the strategic partnership forward. He agreed with Marles' assessment and outlined Vietnam's desire to concretize shared understandings on defense cooperation. Key areas for future collaboration include maintaining exchanges, enhancing training, UN peacekeeping operations, inter-service cooperation, war legacy resolution, military medicine, search and rescue, and defense industry ties.

Further discussions included General Giang's request for Australia to increase training scholarships for Vietnamese military personnel and Vietnam's willingness to host Australian students for Vietnamese language and international defense official courses. He also invited Australian defense industry representatives to the third Vietnam International Defense Exhibition in December 2026. Both sides shared views on global and regional issues, with General Giang reiterating Vietnam's commitment to its "four noes" defense policy and peaceful conflict resolution, particularly concerning the South China Sea.

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This visit by General Secretary and President To Lam is a politically significant event, creating strong momentum to deepen the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries and opening a new stage of development in bilateral relations.