TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu has expressed his countrys wish to enhance friendship relations and cooperation with Vietnam at a meeting with his Vietnamese counterpart General Ngo Xuan Lich.

Defense Minister Ryamizard arrived in Vietnam on Sunday for a three-day visit, the Indonesian Embassy in Hanoi said in a press statement released on Tuesday.

During the meeting, Ryamizard was accompanied by several Defense Ministry officials and Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam Ibnu Hadi.

While in Vietnam, Ryamizard also paid a courtesy call on Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang.

General Lich said Vietnam always considered relations with the Indonesian military and people important and is looking forward to forging traditional relations between the two countries for the benefit of common interests and peace.

At the meeting the two ministers discussed a wide range of issues of common concern at regional and international levels and described as "positive" the existing defense and security cooperation between the two countries, particularly with regard to the implementation of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on enhancing cooperation between defense officials of the two neighboring countries signed in 2010.

Both sides have agreed to continue the positive development by emphasizing exchange of delegations, conduct joint exercise, to form a mechanism of dialogs to discuss defense policies, continue the joint working group, create hotline communication between the two defense ministries.

ANTARA