Korea and Vietnam held its fifth national defense strategy talks this week to discuss ways to strengthen military cooperation, and to cooperate on curbing North Korea's nuclear threats.

From Dec. 26 to 28, Vice Minister of Defense Hwang Inmoo visited Hanoi, Vietnam to meet with his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Chi Vinh.

This was the first time talks were held since Vietnam approved its new government in April this year, and provided an opportunity for the two countries to reaffirm its cooperation on national defense.



During the talks, the vice ministers discussed cooperation in areas such as the exchange of high-level military personnel, joint military academies and international peace keeping operations. The feasibility of an agreement outlining mutual logistics support was also brought to the table. The state of affairs concerning North Korea's nuclear provocations was also discussed as the vice ministers exchanged ideas on promoting peace and stability in the region.

Vice Minister Hwang asked that Vietnam, the 2017 host for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, continue to stand on the side of the international community in dealing with the North Korean nuclear issue.

During the three-day visit, the vice minister is also scheduled to meet with Vietnamese Minister of National Defense Ngo Xuan Lich, and will be paying a visit to the air force headquarters.

By Lee Hana
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photo: Yonhap News
hlee10@korea.kr