Vietnam and Myanmar have agreed to deepen defence and security cooperation, with both countries elevating the sector as a key pillar of their bilateral relations.
The agreement was reached on Saturday when Vietnamese leader To Lam hosted Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing in Hanoi during the Myanmar leader’s first official visit to Vietnam as president.
According to a statement issued by the Vietnamese government, the two sides agreed to strengthen cooperation in military training, exchanges between young officers, search-and-rescue operations and disaster response.
They also pledged to enhance information sharing and coordination in the fight against crime.
“Vietnam stands ready to share its experience in national development, ensuring economic security and fostering sustainable growth,” Lam was quoted as saying during the talks.
The two countries further reaffirmed their commitment not to allow individuals or organisations to use their respective territories to conduct activities against the other country.
The leaders agreed to strengthen political trust through increased high-level exchanges and make better use of existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms.
Beyond defence and security, Vietnam and Myanmar agreed to expand economic, trade and investment relations, with opportunities identified in high-tech agriculture, food processing, telecommunications, information technology, digital transformation, energy and transport infrastructure.
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The two sides also pledged closer coordination within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Mekong subregional frameworks.
They reaffirmed support for peace, stability and freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea.
Earlier on Friday, Min Aung Hlaing visited a factory in northern Vietnam producing VinFast electric vehicles, as well as telecommunications group Viettel.
The visits highlighted Myanmar’s interest in expanding cooperation with Vietnam in technology, telecommunications and industrial development.
Reuters
