Lt. Gen. Nguyen Van Nghia, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) joined the virtual ASEAN Chiefs of Army Multilateral Meeting (ACAMM) on July 9.

A view of the virtual ASEAN Chiefs of Army Multilateral Meeting (ACAMM),
which is held on July 9, on Vietnam's side. (Photo: bqp.vn)

The ACAMM, chaired by Commander of the Royal Brunei Land Force Brigadier General Dato Seri Pahlawan Awang Khairul Hamed bin Awang Haji Lampoh, gathered chiefs of army from ASEAN member states to discuss response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his remarks at the event, Nghia spoke highly of the active role of the Royal Brunei Land Force as Chair of the ACAMM 2020.

He said since the COVID-19 broke out, the VPA has actively participated in the country’s efforts to contain the spread of the disease. The armed forces have turned its military bases across the country into quarantine camps for those who have returned from foreign countries, helped disinfect coronavirus clusters; and tightened control of border checkpoints and areas along the border, he noted.

The Vietnamese army has also successfully developed and produced testing kits for the coronavirus, he added.

He went on to say that Vietnam’s Ministry of Defence has actively advanced defence cooperation among ASEAN countries to make it in line with this year’s ASEAN theme “Cohesive and Responsive.”

The VPA has also ramped up experience sharing and promoted mutual supports on a bilateral basis with other countries, such as Laos, Cambodia, China, Russia, Myanmar and Cuba, Nghia said.

He expressed his belief that with such goodwill and determination, the pandemic will soon be brought under control regionally and globally.

The member countries agreed that the next ACAMM will be also held online in November. It will be hosted by the Myanmar Army as ACAMM Chair 2021.