Minister of Defence General Phan Văn Giang and a delegation of the US Congress led by Senator Jeff Merkley had a meeting in Hà Nội on Saturday. — VNA/VNS Photo Trọng Đức

HÀ NỘI — Minister of Defence General Phan Văn Giang hosted a reception for a delegation of members of the US Congress led by Senator Jeff Merkley in Hà Nội on Saturday.

Minister Giang said the visit of the US Congress delegation is significant in the context of the two countries preparing to mark the 10th anniversary of their comprehensive partnership.

He affirmed that Việt Nam always considers the US one of its important partners and wants to promote relations with the US on the basis of respecting each other’s independence, sovereignty and political institutions, for the interest of both countries and for peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.   

According to Giang, bilateral defence cooperation has been rolled out in alignment with the sound development of the comprehensive partnership between the two countries, producing positive outcomes in terms of dialogue-consultation, delegation exchange, war aftermath settlement, training, search-rescue, UN peacekeeping work and military medicine.

He highlighted the joint work in overcoming war consequences. Through the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the two sides have cooperated effectively in such projects as dioxin clean-up at Biên Hoà airbase and support for people with disabilities in provinces severely affected by Agent Orange/Dioxin.

Minister Giang took the occasion to thank US Congress members for their contributions to the cooperation on war aftermath settlement, particularly those made by Senator Patrick Leahy.  

He proposed that members of the US Congress push for the Congress’s continued support of defence cooperation between Việt Nam and the US, focusing on addressing war legacies, training, military medicine and UN peacekeeping.

Senator Merkley pledged to work to promote collaboration with Việt Nam, particularly in the field of surmounting war aftermath.

On the occasion, Merkley presented the Vietnamese Defence Ministry a set of documents containing information on Vietnamese soldiers going missing during the war in Việt Nam.

Minister Giang, on his part, sent to Senator Patrick Leahy a film on the senator’s contributions to the two countries’ relations. — VNS