Hanoi (VNA) - The 17th ASEAN Air Chiefs Conference (AACC-17)took place online on October 22 under the chair of Major Gen.Vu Van Kha, Acting Commander of the Vietnam Air Defence-Air Force (VAD-AF).

In his address, Kha said the presence of air commanders and delegates from ASEANmember nations’ air forces shows the support for and confidence in the VAD-AF as host and strongly affirms the solidarityand unity of the forces, especially in the contextof COVID-19.

Themed “Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN Air Forces”, AACC-17 firmlydemonstrates the will and determination of the ASEAN air forces in building a unitedASEAN that actively responds to challenges, and takes advantage of opportunitiesfor mutual development, he said.

He underlined the importance of enhancing cohesion to respond to challenges at present and in the future for the stability and sustainable development of the airforces of ASEAN member countries in particular and the ASEAN Community in general,towards ensuring an environment of peace, stability and development.

According to Kha, the air forces of ASEAN countries have proactively promoted cooperationactivities, both bilaterally and multilaterally, but due to differences inresources, organisational structure, operating mechanisms, and weapons and equipment,multilateral cooperation is yet to be commensurate with the growing multilateralcooperation between regional militaries.

In recent years, the VAD-AF has beenpromoting bilateral and multilateral cooperation with the air forces of other ASEAN membernations, with a focus on exchanging delegations at all levels; sharing experienceand expertise in pilot training, aviation engineering, and the maintenance and repairof weapons and equipment; and education and training cooperation.

The Vietnamese officer stressed the need for ASEAN air forces to further tightentheir relationship via concrete and practical actions, for the stability, safety,and security of the region.

Delegates compared notes on global and regional issuesas well as opportunities and challenges facing the ASEAN air forces.

They also proposed measures to promote friendly relations and cooperation between the regional air forces in the time to come, and evaluated the quality of multilateralhumanitarian assistance and disaster relief drills to complete regulations on humanitarianassistance and disaster relief of the forces.

In the framework of the conference, Kha handed over the presidency of AACC-18 in2021 to Thailand’s Royal Air Force./.