HANOI: Vietnam and Myanmar have agreed to deepen military and security cooperation following talks between Vietnamese leader To Lam and Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing in Hanoi.
The two countries said defence and security would become a major pillar of their bilateral relationship, with cooperation expanded in areas including military training, exchanges between young officers, disaster response and crime prevention.
The agreement was reached during Min Aung Hlaing’s official visit to Vietnam, as Myanmar seeks to strengthen regional relationships while continuing to face conflict and political instability at home.
Hanoi and Naypyidaw also agreed to increase information-sharing and pledged not to allow individuals or organisations operating from their territory to engage in activities considered harmful to the other country.
Economic cooperation formed another major part of the discussions. The two sides identified high-tech agriculture, food processing, telecommunications, information technology, digital transformation, energy and transport infrastructure as areas with potential for expanded investment and trade.
Vietnam also offered to share its experience in economic development and maintaining economic security.
During the visit, Min Aung Hlaing toured facilities operated by electric-vehicle manufacturer VinFast and telecommunications group Viettel as Myanmar explores opportunities for greater technological and industrial cooperation with Vietnam.