Cold War comrades Vietnam, North Korea pledge to deepen defence cooperation
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A delegation from North Korea's Defence Ministry, led by Vice-Minister of Defence Ryo Chol Ung, preparing to leave Pyongyang for Vietnam, on Sept 22.
PHOTO: REUTERS
HANOI – Vietnam and North Korea will deepen their defence cooperation after some recent “positive results”, Vietnam’s Defence Ministry said after talks between the countries’ deputy defence ministers in Hanoi this week.
Vietnam’s Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Truong Thang held talks on Sept 24 with his North Korean counterpart Ryo Chol Ung, who was part of a visiting defence delegation, the ministry said in a statement.
“Within the overall framework of the traditional friendship between Vietnam and the DPRK (North Korea), defence cooperation has always been a key area receiving attention and active promotion from the party, state and military leadership of both countries,” the statement cited Thang as saying.
He said there had been “positive results” in areas including exchanges of delegations, party and political work, and education and training, and called on both sides to implement a defence cooperation letter of intent signed in 2025.
Ryo spoke highly of the traditional ties between the two ruling parties, the two states and the two armed forces, and discussed a number of matters related to bilateral defence cooperation, according to the statement.
Vietnam and North Korea have maintained diplomatic ties dating back to the Cold War, and are among the world’s five communist-ruled countries besides China, Cuba and Laos.
In August, Vietnam said it would build a memorial and renovate a cemetery dedicated to North Korean servicemen killed while fighting in the Vietnam War. REUTERS