Vietnam, Myanmar agree to deepen defence ties

Vietnam and Myanmar have agreed to deepen their defense and security cooperation, making the sector a key pillar of their bilateral relationship, according to a statement released by the Myanmar government. The leaders, President To Lam of Vietnam and President Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar, held talks in Hanoi, where Hlaing is on his first official visit to Vietnam in his capacity as Myanmar's president.

During the discussions, the two heads of state agreed to enhance military training, exchanges among young officers, search-and-rescue operations, and disaster response coordination. They also pledged to increase information sharing and joint efforts to combat crimes. To Lam highlighted Vietnam's readiness to share its experience in national development, economic security, and sustainable growth.

Both countries reaffirmed their commitment to not allowing any individual or organization to utilize one nation's territory for activities against the other. In addition to strengthening political trust through more high-level exchanges, Vietnam and Myanmar plan to better utilize existing bilateral cooperation mechanisms.

The leaders also identified opportunities for expanding economic, trade, and investment ties, focusing on high-tech agriculture, food processing, telecommunications, information technology, digital transformation, energy, and transport infrastructure. Furthermore, they pledged closer coordination within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Mekong subregional frameworks, reaffirming their support for peace, stability, and freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea.

On Friday, President Min Aung Hlaing visited a VinFast electric vehicle factory and Viettel, a telecommunications company, in northern Vietnam, demonstrating Myanmar's interest in deepening cooperation with Vietnam in technology, telecommunications, and industrial development.