Vietnam, Malaysia hold first defense policy dialogue

Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defense Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang and Secretary-General of the Malaysian Ministry of Defense Datuk Lokman Hakim Ali co-chaired the first Vietnam–Malaysia Defense Policy Dialogue in Hanoi on October 20, agreeing to deepen defense cooperation and expand collaboration in areas of mutual interest.

Thang congratulated Malaysia on successfully hosting ASEAN military and defense meetings during its 2025 ASEAN Chairmanship, helping uphold ASEAN’s centrality and advance the bloc’s goals of promoting peace, cooperation and sustainable development in the region and the world.

He noted that Vietnam–Malaysia relations have advanced significantly, culminating in the elevation of bilateral ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in November 2024. Defense cooperation has also made positive progress under the governments’ Memorandum of Understanding on defense cooperation, signed in Hanoi in December 2023.

Looking ahead, he urged the two defense ministries to implement the key understandings and orientations agreed by their ministers during the Malaysian defense minister’s official visit to Vietnam in August.

Thang proposed making defense cooperation a key pillar of bilateral ties, with a focus on delegation exchanges at all levels, dialogue and consultation, defense industry, cooperation between military services and arms, and human resource development.

The Vietnamese deputy minister called for stronger consultations and mutual support to uphold ASEAN’s common positions on regional and international security issues, and for expanded cooperation in military medicine, cybersecurity and UN peacekeeping operations.

He expressed his hope that Malaysia's Ministry of Defense would support English-language training for Vietnam People’s Army officers by sending the ministry's lecturers to Vietnamese military institutions and hosting Vietnamese military officers for English-language courses in Malaysia.

Thang said the Vietnamese ministry is ready to host Malaysian officers for Vietnamese-language courses and international defense programmes at its military academies and schools. It also welcomes exchanges and research visits by delegations from both countries’ military institutions to promote mutual understanding, share professional experience and strengthen ties between the two countries and their armed forces.

Vietnam welcomes representatives from the Malaysian Ministry of Defense, armed forces and defense enterprises to attend and showcase their products at the third Vietnam International Defense Expo, scheduled to take place in Hanoi in December, he added.

For his part, Datuk Lokman Hakim Ali said the first Vietnam–Malaysia Defense Policy Dialogue marked a new step in bilateral defense cooperation, opening up opportunities to further deepen ties between the two defense ministries.

He spoke highly of the positive and effective cooperation between the two countries, particularly their defense ministries, and expressed his hope for stronger coordination in delegation exchanges, training, defense industry, and science and technology, contributing to deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and reinforcing ASEAN’s centrality.

The two sides also exchanged views on regional and international developments and issues of mutual concern.

Thang reaffirmed Vietnam’s consistent position of resolving issues at sea by peaceful measures in accordance with international law, while making every effort to prevent maritime incidents.

Vietnam hopes to work with Malaysia to uphold ASEAN’s common stance on settling maritime disputes peacefully in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). He also stressed the need to effectively and fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and develop a substantive and effective Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).