The Department of Defence of Australia and the Ministry of National Defence of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam (hereafter referred to as "the Participants") have mutually decided to issue this Updated Joint Vision Statement on Further Defence Cooperation.
Founded on the elevation of the Australia-Viet Nam relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, as mutually determined by Australia's Prime Minister Mr Anthony Albanese and Viet Nam's Prime Minister Mr Pham Minh Chinh on 7 March 2024, the Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Defence of Australia and the Ministry of National Defence of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam for Defence Cooperation signed on 11 October 2010, the Joint Vision Statement on Further Defence Cooperation between the Department of Defence of Australia and the Ministry of National Defence of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam signed on 8 November 2018, and the Peacekeeping Partnership Arrangement between the Government of Australia and the Government of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam signed on 5 March 2024, the Participants reaffirm the close and deepening bilateral defence relationship.
This statement recognises that the Participants share a converging strategic outlook and have a bilateral relationship based on strategic trust. Investing in our defence partnerships is essential, in order to uphold rules and norms that support our shared interests in a stable and prosperous region. The Participants commit to deepening defence cooperation between Australia and Viet Nam amidst the increasingly challenging security environment, increasing strategic competition and unprecedented military build-up taking place in the Indo-Pacific without reassurance or transparency.
The Participants underscore the importance of a secure and stable Indo-Pacific region where sovereignty is respected, international law is adhered to, and nations exercise their rights free from coercion. The Participants reaffirm the importance of ASEAN centrality in the regional security architecture and emphasise the importance of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting Plus as a platform for practical cooperation and trust-building.
The Participants mutually benefit from peace and stability in the South China Sea noting the critical role that international straits and sea lanes of communication play to both countries' national and economic security. Both sides emphasised the importance of upholding freedom of navigation and overflight, and the peaceful resolution of maritime disputes, without resorting to the threat or use of force, in accordance with international law, particularly United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The Participants resolve to continue working together to uphold international law and support regional maritime security.
Recognising defence cooperation as one of the vital pillars of the Australia-Viet Nam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and both Participants' growing ambition in the broader bilateral diplomatic relationship, this Updated Joint Vision Statement on Further Defence Cooperation affirms the following principles for further defence cooperation:
- Australia and Viet Nam defence cooperation will align with a mutual respect for independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, international law, and the political and legal systems of both nations.
- The Participants will seek to build a broad and deep bilateral defence relationship that builds strategic trust, confidence and encourages transparency.
- The Participants will prioritise opportunities for strategic cooperation to help navigate changing strategic circumstances both globally and regionally. Australia and Viet Nam will seek opportunities to advocate and adhere to global rules and norms through strategic discussions, dialogues, and defence cooperation activities.
- Australia and Viet Nam will deepen our exchanges through enhanced strategic dialogue and capacity building. We will share our strategic visions and policy perspectives on global and regional security issues of mutual concern through high level engagements and existing dialogue mechanisms. This includes regular meetings of Ministers of National Defence, the Defence Policy Dialogue, the 2+2 Strategic Dialogue, Defence Cooperation Talks, and the Defence Track 1.5 Dialogue. Recognising the interconnected nature of national defence and foreign policy, both Participants commit to engaging in broader bilateral strategic dialogues on key national security and foreign policy issues. Bilateral strategic dialogues contribute to mutual efforts to preserve global peace and security and uphold international law.
- The Participants will prioritise defence cooperation activities that build mutual trust and understanding, and build capacity and strengthen interoperability between militaries, in order to strengthen our joint capacity to respond to traditional and non-traditional international security challenges. This includes working together through ASEAN, strengthening trust and appreciation for multilateral institutions, and conducting joint activities through minilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest.
- Australia and Viet Nam will enhance the complexity of our practical and operational defence cooperation, including in more strategic areas such as maritime security, information sharing, defence intelligence, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR), search and rescue, combat shooting and counter terrorism, military medicine, cyber security, and defence industry.
- The Participants welcome cooperation through multilateral exercises which support the region's security, uphold the rules-based international order, and make a positive contribution to peace, stability and the overall development in the region and in the world.
- The Participants will maintain and build education and training links essential to deepening people-to-people links and academic, English language and military professional and skills capacity.
- Australia and Viet Nam will deepen defence coordination and cooperation through the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus framework, support confidence-building measures and actively enhance the roles and responsibilities of each country in multilateral mechanisms. Both Participants remain committed to the principles outlined in the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific, and their practical implementation.
- The Participants will continue longstanding cooperation in United Nations (UN) peacekeeping enabled through the Peacekeeping Partnership Arrangement, including expanding our education and training pathways, strengthening linkages between Peacekeeping Centres, and supporting Viet Nam's future UN deployments. This will further consolidate our close partnership.
The Participants emphasise the importance of the Defence Policy Dialogue as the primary mechanism for assessing and directing the bilateral defence relationship. In order to realise this Joint Vision Statement, the Three-Year Plan for Defence Cooperation will be reviewed annually, providing Defence leaders agility to adjust the focus as needed.
Australia and Viet Nam acknowledge that this Joint Vision Statement represents the ambition of our two countries to strengthen the defence relationship and is not intended to be a legally binding document.
Signed in duplicate in Canberra on 12 August 2026 in Vietnamese and English language, both texts having equal validity.
