Vietnam attends Indo-Pacific Army Chiefs Conference in Thailand

At the 11th Indo-Pacific Army Chiefs Conference (IPACC)in Bangkok, Thailand (Photo: VNA)

A high-ranking military delegation led by Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, is attending the 11th Indo-Pacific Army Chiefs Conference (IPACC) taking place in Bangkok, Thailand, from September 9-11.

Themed “Achieving Sustainable Security: A new Perspective for Indo-Pacific Armies”, the conference aims to boost trust, mutual understanding and collaboration among land forces in the region.

At the same time, the Indo-Pacific Armies Management Seminar (IPAMS) and Senior Enlisted Leaders Forum (SELF) are being held in Bangkok, discussing measures to develop trust among Indo-Pacific land forces to reduce risk and conflict, and enhance resiliency through leadership and professional development, development of ethical and trusted land force professionals in an information-saturated environment.

Attending the opening ceremonies of the conferences, Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha affirmed the conferences create a foundation for army chiefs at all levels to work together to ensure sustainable security.

In a bid to handle potential traditional and non-traditional security challenges, armies should be an effective tool of the governments to keep national stability, he said.

Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Armed Forces Apirat Kongsongpong expressed his hope that the conferences will help regional armed forces promote partnership for sustainability.

Meanwhile, Chief of Staff of the US Army James C. McConville said the conferences create a good opportunity to gather army chiefs to develop alliance, partnership and cooperation.

The biennial Indo-Pacific Army Chiefs Conference (IPACC) brings together the most senior land power commanders to establish and foster personal relationships while addressing mutual interests and challenges in the region. This year, the event is co-hosted by the US Chief of Staff of the Army and the Commander in Chief of the Royal Thai Armed Forces.

The long-term objective of IPACC/IPAMS is to promote peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region through mutual understanding, dialogue, and friendship. Both conferences have been preeminent signature events for security cooperation by bringing together dozens of nations in the hopes of creating new avenues for bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and enabling dialogue about the most pressing security challenges in one of the globe’s most volatile regions.

VNA