Maj. Gen. Lê Tấn Tới meets UN Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support Atul Khare.  — VNA/VNS Photo

WASHINGTON DC — A delegation of the National Assembly (NA)’s Committee for National Defence and Security paid a working visit to the United States and the United Nations from July 26 to 30.

Led by Chairman of the Committee Maj. Gen. Lê Tấn Tới, the delegation held talks with Chairman Adam Smith and Ranking Member Mike Rogers of the US House of Representatives’ Armed Services Committee.

The Vietnamese lawmakers also met with Congressman Joaquin Castro, Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on ASEAN and member of the US House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence; Senator Tammy Duckworth, member of the Senate Committee on Armed Services; Senator Bill Hagerty, member of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and Committee on Appropriations; Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security John Tien; Assistant Secretary of State Jessica Lewis; and Assistant Secretary of Defence Ely Ratner.

The delegation had meetings with the assistants to President Pro Tempore of the Senate and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations Patrick Leahy, Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee Jack Reed, and Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee Jim Inhofe.

Speaking at the events, Tới said that Việt Nam consistently views the US as a leading partner and highly values their support for an independent and prosperous Việt Nam.

Việt Nam always wishes to develop the comprehensive partnership with the US in an increasingly substantive, stable, and long-term manner on the basis of respect for each other’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political regimes.

The US officials said the Southeast Asian nation is an important partner, and that the US parliament strongly supports relations and hopes bilateral ties will make new strides.

They pledged to continue supporting Việt Nam’s economic development and enhance defence and security cooperation, with a focus on helping Việt Nam address war consequences, including environmental remediation of dioxin contamination and unexploded ordnance clearance, assist the disabled, search for Vietnamese soldiers’ remains, and improve maritime capacity.

The US also expressed their readiness to assist Việt Nam in UN peacekeeping operations and other fields that suit conditions and demand.

The Vietnamese and US officials also discussed measures for further reinforcing parliamentary ties, shared information and experience in legislative and supervisory activities and transnational crime fight, and exchanged views on international and regional issues of common concern.

At the meeting with UN Under-Secretary-General for Operational Support Atul Khare, Tới thanked his host and the UN for actively assisting Việt Nam to engage in UN peacekeeping operations and improve the country’s stature and capacity in the settlement of international affairs.

He called on the UN and the Under-Secretary-General to continue helping Việt Nam contribute more to the UN’s noble goal of resolving conflicts and maintaining peace and stability for all people around the world.

The official asked the UN to create conditions for Việt Nam to further take part in peacekeeping operations, help with training for Vietnamese forces, and pay attention to compensation for Việt Nam’s contributions and losses when performing peacekeeping duties. He also suggested stronger trilateral cooperation and that the UN consider organising training courses for countries’ peacekeeping forces in Việt Nam.

Khare highly valued Việt Nam’s active support, participation and contributions to UN peacekeeping operations, affirming continued assistance for the country in training.

He also voiced his hope that Việt Nam will share its experience in training peacekeeping personnel with other countries, especially those in its region. — VNS