Senior Lieutenant General Do Ba Ty, the Chief of General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, arrived in France on Monday for a four-day official visit that is aimed at strengthening defense ties between the two countries.

During his talks with Chief of Defense Staff of France Admiral Edouard Guillaud in Paris the same day, Ty affirmed that Vietnam hopes to develop all-round ties with France for a strategic partnership, including defense cooperation. The bilateral relationship is on the right track on the basis of traditional friendship and comprehensive, long-term and reliable cooperation for the 21st century, Ty said.

The official praised the effective cooperation between the two countries during the past years, including the annual Joint Defense Committee mechanism, cooperation in defense science and technology, and the exchange of experience in hydrography and military medicine.

He thanked the French Defense Ministry for giving favorable conditions for Vietnamese officers to study in France and expressed his hope that France will continue support for Vietnam’s efforts to join the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO).

The official affirmed that Vietnam, with its foreign policy of openness and international integration, wishes to boost cooperation with France in regional and international multilateral forums, through which the two nations can contribute to maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world.

In reply, Admiral Edouard Guillaud said he highly appreciates the ties between Vietnam and France, especially in defense, and he highly values the role of Vietnam in ASEAN in particular and the Asia-Pacific region in general. Admiral Guillaud agreed with the guest on future cooperation between the two ministries of defense and said he believes Ty’s visit will contribute to fostering the relationship between the two countries in general and their defense ties in particular. Guillaud affirmed that France, as an IHO founder, will assist Vietnam in joining the organization.

The official also emphasized that France supports Vietnam’s stance of settling disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).