Following the Party and State’s guidelines to actively integrate intothe international community and safeguard the country in the newcontext, the army pursued a comprehensive policy of defence diplomacy,strengthening international integration in this field.
As a result, Vietnam intensified links with neighbouring states tocreate a security belt along the country’s boundaries, thus helping tosafeguard national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Vietnam has so far established defence ties with80 nations and international organisations, including the UnitedNations and the European Union.
Defence attachéoffices have been set up in 29 countries, while 45 foreign defenceattaché offices are currently active in Vietnam.
Since 2006, the Vietnamese army has actively participated in the annualASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM), contributing to theconsolidation of the bloc’s central role in the regional securityarchitecture.
Furthermore, Vietnam sent militaryofficers to participate in the ASEAN Militaries’ HumanitarianAssistance and Disaster Relief Exercise in Brunei in 2013 and took partin the UN’s peacekeeping operations this year.
At regional forums, the army contributed to discussions and expressedviewpoint to win support for the country’s sovereign and legitimateinterests, including the promotion of the settlement of the East Seaissue via peaceful means on the basis of respecting the United NationsConvention on the Law of the Sea and the Declaration on the Conduct ofParties in the East Sea.
Military units alsostepped up exchanges and cooperation with other countries’ localitiesand armed forces, as well as coordinating with neighbouring border guardforces to patrol and manage shared borders and border posts.
Thanks to diplomatic efforts on defence, Vietnam received the supportfrom other countries in terms of capital, science-technology and modernmilitary knowledge in order to improve the capacity of the country’sdefence system and national strength.-VNA