Vietnam, New Zealand boost defense ties

Military representatives of Vietnam and New Zealand met Monday in Vietnam's capital Hanoi to discuss measures to boost bilateral defense ties.

During talks between Vietnamese Chief of the General Staff of the People's Army of Vietnam Do Ba Ty and New Zealand's Chief of Defense Force Tim Keating, the two sides put forward measures to further promote defense ties, including establishment of academic exchange mechanism between defense training and research institutions, and sharing of experience in search and rescue, air safety, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

At the meeting between the New Zealand military chief and Vietnamese Defense Minister Phung Quang Thanh on the same day, the Vietnamese minister said the visit of New Zealand delegation as well as the talks held between two sides are practical activities in implementing the agreements on bilateral defense cooperation under the Memorandum of Understanding on defense cooperation between the two countries signed in 2013.

Both sides agreed to continue to maintain coordination to develop a more efficient and practical bilateral defense cooperation, according to the website of Vietnamese defense ministry.

The New Zealand's Chief of Defense Force Tim Keating is visiting Vietnam from Aug. 15 to 20.