RI, Vietnam boost defense cooperation

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono witnessed the signing of the MoU on defense cooperation between the Indonesian and Vietnamese governments in Hanoi on Wednesday.

Both countries will host military visits, joint trainings and joint sea patrol, Yudhoyono said commenting on the agreement as quoted by Antara.

Yudhoyono said that a cooperation on defense with Vietnam was important and strategic because both countries shared borders in the South China Sea waters.

Yudhoyono was in Hanoi to attend the ASEAN summit later in the week, but tsunami and volcano disasters have forced him to make a short return trip home before heading back again to Hanoi.