 |
| General Nguyen Tan Cuong (R) and Vice Admiral Aaron Beng inspect the guard of honour. (Photo: VNA) |
Singapore (VNA) - A high-ranking delegation of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA), led by General Nguyen Tan Cuong, Member of the Central Military Commission’s Standing Board, Chief of the VPA General Staff and Deputy Minister of National Defence, paid an official visit to Singapore from November 4-5, at the invitation of Vice Admiral Aaron Beng, Chief of Defence Force of Singapore.
The visit further deepened bilateral defence ties, reinforcing one of the key pillars of the Vietnam-Singapore relationship.
On November 5 morning, Beng chaired an official welcome ceremony for Cuong and the Vietnamese delegation. The latter subsequently paid a courtesy call on Singaporean Minister for Defence Chan Chun Sing who spoke highly of bilateral defence cooperation and underscored ASEAN’s role in maintaining peace and stability and promoting regional collaboration. He expressed his confidence that the talks between the two delegations will produce positive outcomes and advance defence ties.
Highlighting the positive development of relations between the two countries and their militaries, Cuong noted that Vietnam and Singapore share strategic interests and considerable potential for cooperation, as well as a common commitment to peace, stability and prosperity. He stressed that bilateral military and defence cooperation should continue to expand in a substantive and effective manner.
He affirmed Vietnam’s support for Singapore’s successful assumption of the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2027 and called for closer coordination to strengthen ASEAN unity and centrality. He also welcomed Singapore’s initiative on the security of critical underwater infrastructure and expressed his hope that the country will assist Vietnam and India in co-chairing the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus Experts’ Working Group on Cybersecurity for the 2027-2030 cycle.
The Vietnamese officer thanked Singapore’s Ministry of Defence and armed forces for sending a high-level delegation to the third Vietnam Defence Expo, scheduled to take place in Hanoi in late 2026, and welcomed the participation of Singaporean defence companies.
During talks with Vice Admiral Beng, the two sides reviewed the positive progress in bilateral defence cooperation, underpinned by strong political trust and regular exchanges between their defence leaders and armies. Key areas of collaboration include delegation exchanges, dialogue and consultation, exchanges between military services and branches, naval visits and personnel training.
Cooperation in search and rescue and cybersecurity has also advanced, notably through a tabletop exercise on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief in 2025 and the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cybersecurity cooperation in September 2026.
For future collaboration, Cuong proposed further strengthening existing cooperation mechanisms, expanding exchanges between military services, enhancing search and rescue operations, and supporting each other at multilateral forums and international events. He also called for more strategic exchanges, cooperation between research institutes, and joint initiatives on cyberspace codes of conduct, confidence-building measures and conflict prevention.
In personnel training, he suggested establishing ties between Vietnam’s Department of Military Training and Schools under the VPA General Staff and its Singaporean counterpart, while sharing experience in training, information technology applications and digital transformation.
Regarding cybersecurity, he proposed translating the recently signed memorandum into practical cooperation activities and welcomed Singapore’s role in the ADMM Cybersecurity and Information Centre of Excellence (ACICE). He also called for stronger collaboration in responding to chemical, biological and radiological threats, maritime security, military applications of artificial intelligence, treatment of tropical and infectious diseases, and defence industry development.
Beng welcomed the proposals and expressed Singapore’s readiness to explore new areas of cooperation in line with the interests of both countries. He said he hopes Vietnam will continue supporting Singapore at multilateral forums, particularly within ASEAN, during its 2027 Chairmanship.
Exchanging views on regional and international developments, the two sides underscored the need for greater solidarity and cooperation in addressing traditional and non-traditional security challenges amid rapid advances in military technology. Cuong reaffirmed Vietnam’s commitment to resolving disputes peacefully and in accordance with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and ensuring navigation and aviation security, safety and freedom.
Both sides expressed confidence that bilateral defence cooperation will continue to develop comprehensively and substantively.
During the visit, the Vietnamese delegation toured ST Engineering and the Singapore Armed Forces’ Multi-Mission Range Complex (MMRC).
Earlier, Lieutenant General Vu Huu Hanh, Commander of the Command 86, held bilateral meetings with the Chief Executive of the Cyber Security Command of Singapore and the Executive Director of ACICE. Rear Admiral Le Ba Quan, Deputy Commander of the Vietnam People’s Navy, attended a working breakfast with Singapore’s Chief of Navy./.
