Vietnam wishes to strengthen high-level exchange visits between the two defence ministries to share experience of military cooperation. National Assembly (NA) Vice Chairman Huynh Ngoc Son told Ukrainian Defence Minister Pavlo Lebedev, at a meeting in Kiev on December 4 while suggesting Ukraine provide more scholarships to Vietnamese army officials and send their officials to Vietnam to learn Vietnamese language and take professional courses. The legislative leader asked Ukraine to assist Vietnam in preparing for its engagement in the United Nations peacekeeping mission. Vietnam is eager to reinforce and expand ties with traditional friends, including Ukraine, and hopes that the two armies will work together on boosting future defence and security cooperation, Son said. The same day, NA Vice Chairman Son visited the Ukrainian National Defence Academy and talked to Vietnamese embassy staff During the visit (December 4-7), the Vietnamese delegation is also scheduled to meet with the Ukrainian NA Vice Chairman. VOV