Vietnam, Thailand strengthen naval ties amid strategic partnership upgrade

Sen. Lieu. Gen. Hien welcomed Admiral Jirapol's visit as a practical follow-up to the official trip to Vietnam earlier this month by General Songwit Noonpackdee, Chief of the Defense Forces of the Royal Thai Armed Forces.

Hien emphasized that Vietnam values its friendship and wishes to further strengthen cooperation with Thailand.

The Vietnamese deputy defense minister highlighted the recent upgrade of bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership as a historic milestone, opening a new chapter in Vietnam-Thailand relations.

He added that defense cooperation between both countries, particularly between their navies, has grown increasingly active and reliable, with various meaningful activities such as delegation exchanges, joint patrols, and mutual support in multilateral frameworks.

He called on both naval forces to closely coordinate in implementing the shared understanding reached during the sixth Vietnam-Thailand Defense Policy Dialogue held in March and the July visit by Thailand’s Chief of Defense Forces.

He proposed enhancing mutual trust through bilateral naval consultations, increased delegation exchanges at all levels, and training cooperation.

Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defense supports deeper naval cooperation and hopes it will further contribute to strengthening each country's defense capabilities and the overall comprehensive strategic partnership.

Admiral Jirapol affirmed that his visit reflects the deep affection and solidarity between the two militaries, especially as defense ties continue to grow.

The Thai admiral praised past cooperation, particularly in joint patrols and delegation exchanges, and expressed hope that Sen. Lieu. Gen. Hien will continue to support efforts to deepen and strengthen the bond between the two naval forces.