BANGKOK (Sputnik) — Australia and Vietnam agreed to closer security and defense ties, including joint military exercises and sharing information, the prime ministers of both counties said after a Canberra meeting Wednesday.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott and his Vietnamese counterpart Nguyen Tan Dung signed a declaration on comprehensive partnership, envisioning training Vietnamese troops on Australian soil and exchanging information and intelligence data, among other measures.
The agreement also stipulates joint military exercises on the South China Sea and in Australia, according to the press conference transcript on Abbott's official website.
Vietnamese and Australian prime ministers also committed to maintaining stability in the South China Sea.
China has geographical claims to islands in the South China Sea which are also disputed between Vietnam and the Philippines.
