Vietnam and Malaysia hold first Defence Policy Dialogue

Vietnam and Malaysia co-chaired their first Defence Policy Dialogue in Hanoi on October 20. The meeting was led by Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of National Defence, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang, and Malaysia’s Secretary General of the Ministry of Defence, Datuk Lokman Hakim Ali.

The dialogue follows the upgrade of bilateral relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in November 2024. Officials noted that defense cooperation has yielded positive results through delegation exchanges, high-level contacts, and collaboration in the defense industry and between various military branches.

Moving forward, both nations aim to make defense cooperation a key pillar of their relationship. Future efforts will focus on maintaining effective consultation mechanisms, high-level meetings, and continued implementation of the 2023 Memorandum of Understanding on defense cooperation.