Two Deputy Defence Ministers witnessing the signing of an agreement on hydrographic cooperation between the two Defence Ministries (Photo: qdnd.vn)

(VOV) – Senior-Lieutenant General Do Ba Ty, Chief-of-the-General-Staff cum Deputy Defense Minister, has received UK Defense Under Secretary of State Lord Astor during his ongoing visit to Vietnam. Ty spoke highly of the fruitful cooperation in national defense between Vietnam and the UK, regarding Lord Astor’s visit as the first by a senior official of the UK Ministry of Defense since the two countries established diplomatic ties four decades ago. The UK defense official asked the Vietnamese Defence Ministry to promote regular exchanges between the two naval forces. The same day, Vice Admiral Pham Ngoc Minh and Rear Admiral Tom Karsten signed a cooperation agreement between the Vietnam People's Navy and the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office.

Earlier, Lord Astor briefed his host on his talks with Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of Defense Nguyen Chi Vinh before the opening of the Vietnam-UK Defense Business Forum in Hanoi.