Minister Wei said that the exchange is part of activities inheriting the traditional friendship between China and Vietnam, while helping promote border cooperation between the two sides.
He noted that over the last five years, collaboration between the two countries and militaries has helped expand bilateral partnership. The border defence friendship exchanges have become increasingly better organised throughout years, with a diverse range of activities, he said.
He expressed his belief that the current exchange, the fifth of its kind, will contribute to creating new motivations in developing the affiliation between the two militaries as well as the two countries.
For his part, Minister Lich said that on November 19, the first day of the exchange, participants joined various meaningful activities, including a border marker saluting ceremony, a joint river patrol, and visits to Shui Kou town’s Border Guard Company and a memorial house dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh.
He said that this year’s exchange programme is taking place in two locations which mark the beginning of Vietnam’s revolution and important events for the friendship and coordination between the revolutions of Vietnam and China.
By visiting the memorial house, participants gained a better understanding of the comradeship and fraternity of Vietnamese and Chinese revolutionaries, he added.
Thanks to activities in the morning of November 19, the Vietnamese delegates gained a deeper insight into the warm sentiments and close friendships that were nurtured and developed by both Vietnam and China over the years, said the minister.
He agreed with Wei’s opinion that the ongoing programme has renewed motivation for the promotion of defence ties between the two countries, contributing to affirming the role of defence cooperation in the partnership between the two parties and states.
He thanked the Chinese side for their warm welcome.
Over the past few years, Vietnam and China have enjoyed growing ties with the effective implementation of common perspectives reached by senior leaders of both countries, including those in defence cooperation.
The affiliation between border guard forces of the two countries have contributed to the building and safeguarding of a shared land border of peace, stability, cooperation, and development.
Over its five years of organisation, the bilateral border defence friendship exchange programme has affirmed its effectiveness and political significance, receiving high evaluation from the two defence ministries, local governments, and peoples along the shared border.
