Indonesia, Vietnam Step Up Defense Cooperation Amid Regional Challenges
Jakarta. Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu said Indonesia and Vietnam must step up bilateral cooperation in defense and security to address threats in the region, such as terrorism, separatism and cyberwars.
"It's in the best interest of Indonesia and Vietnam to increase efforts to ensure regional peace and prosperity," Ryamizard said during a meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart, Gen. Ngo Xuan Lich, in Jakarta on Friday (13/10).
He added that the Indonesian and Vietnamese defense ministries should increase "coordination, cooperation and flexibility to address and tackle regional and global challenges together," emphasizing that no country can singularly address present-day issues facing the world.
Ryamizard said the international community faces the threat of open war between countries, although he added that this remains unlikely. The actual threats, he said, are terrorism and radicalism, separatism and secessionism, natural disasters, theft of natural resources, border violations and cyberwars.
During their meeting, Ryamizard and Ngo signed a joint vision statement that will serve as guideline across all areas in defense cooperation between Indonesia and Vietnam.
"Among those is continuing to promote areas of cooperation that have been mapped out in the memorandum of understanding Indonesia and Vietnam signed in 2010. [...]
Defense industrial cooperation is one of the areas we have agreed upon and signed in the joint vision statement today," Ngo told reporters.
Indonesia and Vietnam will hold a defense policy dialog in 2018 and continue their joint working group on armed forces.
They also agreed to continue exchange programs between high-level delegations and junior officers, while stepping up cooperation between their navies and coastguards, among others.
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We strongly believe the defense cooperation between our two countries will be one of the pillars of the strategic partnership," Ngo said.
Addressing the matter of overlapping claims in their respective exclusive economic zones near the Natuna Sea, which resulted in clashes between the Indonesian and Vietnamese coastguards earlier this year, Ryamizard said affiliated bodies from the two countries will meet to reach an agreement and resolve the issue by the end of this year.
Indonesia and Vietnam established diplomatic relations in 1955, while both countries are members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean).
Nguyễn Phú Trong, secretary general of the Communist Party of Vietnam – the highest political authority in the country – met with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo during a visit to Jakarta in August. The two leaders agreed to deepen their strategic partnership.
http://jakartaglobe.id/news/indonesia-vietnam-step-up-defense-cooperation-amid-regional-challenges/
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Vietnam Want to See Indonesia Defense Products Products
CHRISTIAN ERDIANTO
Kompas.com - 12/10/2017, 12:26 WIB
Kaplan/Harimau Hitam (Black Tiger) Medium Tank
Badak (Rhino) Fire Support Vehicle
Indonesian Aerospace N-219 Light Utility Transport Aircraft
Makassar Class Landing Platform Dock Ship
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Wiranto met with Vietnam Defense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich at Kemenko Polhukam, Central Jakarta, Thursday (12/10/2017).
In a meeting that lasted about 45 minutes, the two discussed increasing cooperation in the field of defense industry and security in the ASEAN region.
Wiranto said the Vietnamese are interested to see all defense industry products in Indonesia and work together in the form of barter products.
"It has been said that Vietnam's desire to continue to improve defense relations, especially those concerning the defense industry, is also willing to see what Indonesian production can be used by Vietnam," said Wiranto after the meeting.
"They will do a review and will talk about it, I encourage there to be at least interstate products that we can combine, we exchange," he added.
In addition, Ngo Xuan Lich also expressed a desire to establish more intense cooperation related to the security of ASEAN region.
According to Wiranto, Indonesia and Vietnam have the same attention to the security of the region.
Wiranto suggested Ngo Xuan Lich met with Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu and the head of State Intelligence Agency (BIN) Budi Gunawan.
"I suggest to have a more intense meeting here with the Minister of Defense, with the head of BIN and so on, in order to have a common understanding that Vietnam and Indonesia have the same interests to maintain the security of this region, especially ASEAN," Wiranto said.
The meeting between Wiranto and Ngo Xuan Lich is a follow-up to the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the two countries in August.
President Joko Widodo previously discussed three main topics in a meeting with Vietnam Communist Party Secretary General Nguyen Phu Trong at the Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Wednesday (8/23/2017).
The three main issues discussed are enhanced cooperation in maritime and fisheries, trade and investment, and regional issues.
http://nasional.kompas.com/read/201...-melihat-produk-industri-pertahanan-indonesia
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May bring prosperity and goodness to the relations between the two countries
