KUALA LUMPUR: Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin has begun his first official visit to Vietnam since assuming office, with the two-day trip expected to further strengthen bilateral defence ties between the two countries.
Khaled arrived at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Wednesday (Aug 5) and is scheduled to hold high-level meetings with Vietnam's top leadership during the visit.
Among those he is expected to meet are Vietnam Prime Minister Le Minh Hung and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Gen Phan Van Giang.
"Malaysia and Vietnam have long enjoyed close defence relations, underpinned by strong cooperation between their armed forces and defence establishments.
"The renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on defence cooperation in December 2023 reflected both countries' commitment to further enhancing bilateral defence ties," he said in a Facebook post.
Khaled expressed hope that the visit would elevate Malaysia-Vietnam defence cooperation to a higher level by creating more opportunities for collaboration that would benefit both nations.
He also said stronger defence ties between the two countries would contribute to regional peace, security and stability.
