MOSCOW, July 6. /TASS/. Vietnam will stand with Russia in any conditions as it’s committed to developing bilateral cooperation, including in the area of defense, Vietnam’s Deputy Defense Minister Hoang Xuan Chien said at a meeting with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko.
"Vietnam will always be with you in any conditions," he said.
According to the Vietnamese official, Moscow and Hanoi have agreed on further measures to promote defense cooperation.
"This morning, Comrade [Russian Defense Minister Sergey] Shoigu and I agreed on how to give an impetus to our defense cooperation to promote our comprehensive strategic partnership in accordance with the comprehensive strategic partnership statement that was signed two years ago during the visit of our Vietnamese president to Russia," said the Vietnamese official said.
He said that Vietnam plans to make "every effort to implement" the plans that were agreed with Russia. Hoang Xuan Chien said that defense cooperation is among five key areas of cooperation with Moscow.
The Vietnamese official said that one purpose of his visit to Moscow is to discuss plans for the development of the Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Center in the near future. To this end, he plans to hold a series of meetings with Russian officials on Friday.
"We will discuss areas of research and development work that both sides want to advance. For example, how to improve the durability of weapons and equipment that we acquired from the USSR and the Russian Federation, as well as health preservation issues with respect to submariners, military pilots and soldiers who work in harsh conditions," the Vietnamese official said.