PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc receives Australian Defense Minister

At a reception for Australian Defense Minister Marise Payne in Hanoi on Thursday, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said Vietnam highly valued Australia’s stance over the East Sea issue and hoped they would support a peaceful settlement of disputes in the East Sea in line with international law, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, and the soon-to-be-finalized Code of Conduct in the East Sea.

The Australian Defense Minister said Australia is ready to support the Vietnamese Peacekeeping Mission in Africa. She said Australia is concerned about terrorism in the region and is cooperating with neighboring countries to combat terrorism. She said she hoped Vietnam would closely work with Australia in this regard.

The same day, Vietnamese Minister of National Defense General Ngo Xuan Lich held talks with his Australian counterpart Marise Payne. The two sides discussed regional security issues and ways to boost bilateral defense cooperation. They agreed on the need to organize the first Deputy-Minister level Defense Policy Dialogue and the importance of Australia’s assistance for Vietnam’s Peacekeeping Mission.