Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnam attaches importance to its strategic partnership with France, which has been developing extensively and intensively across various fields, including defence, Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang affirmed at his talks with visiting French Minister of the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu in Hanoi on May 5.

At the talks following a welcome ceremony for the French minister, Giang highlighted the significance of the guest's current visit in stepping up the bilateral defence cooperation, considering it evidence of the spirit of "closing the past and looking towards the bright future."

He said based on a joint vision statement on Vietnam-France defence cooperation for 2018-2028 and an amended agreement on the defence ties, numerous positive outcomes have been achieved across various fields, including delegation exchanges, dialogue and consultation mechanisms, training, defence industry, military medicine, the sharing of historical memories, war legacy remediation, UN peacekeeping missions, and mutual consultation and support at multilateral forums and mechanisms.

The Vietnamese minister suggested the two sides make greater efforts to enhance defence cooperation in these areas and actively engage in exchanges to achieve early consensus on the Vietnam-France defence cooperation programme for 2025-2028.

In reply, Lecornu highlighted the importance of the bilateral collaboration in sharing historical memories and addressing the consequences of war between the two countries.

He expressed his hope that the bilateral defence ties will be deepened towards greater effectiveness to make it commensurate with the strategic partnership.

The two ministers also discussed regional and international issues of mutual concern. Regarding marine issues, they stressed the importance of peace, security, stability, freedom of navigation and overflight, the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in the East Sea, and the effective pursuit of an effective and practical Code of Conduct (COC) in the East Sea.

Concluding their talks, the two ministers signed a letter of intent on enhancing defence cooperation between Vietnam and France./.