Vietnamese Minister of National Defence General Phan Văn Giang holds talks with US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on November 3. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam and the United States have confirmed that cooperation in overcoming the consequences of war remains a top priority in their overall defence relations, contributing to building trust between the two countries, their militaries and peoples.

The agreement was reached on Sunday during talks between Vietnamese Minister of National Defence General Phan Văn Giang and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who is paying an official visit to Việt Nam from November 2 to 3. The talks took place following an official welcome ceremony.

Minister Giang stressed that Secretary Hegseth’s visit holds special significance as it coincides with the 30th anniversary of Việt Nam–US diplomatic relations (1995–2025). He said the visit will further promote the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace, Cooperation and Sustainable Development, as well as strengthen bilateral defence cooperation.

Both sides agreed that defence cooperation between Việt Nam and the US has been carried out in line with the guidance of senior leaders of both countries and the two ministries, as well as existing documents and agreements, including the 2011 Memorandum of Understanding on Promoting Bilateral Defense Cooperation and the 2024 Updated Joint Vision Statement on Defense Relations.

Key areas of cooperation include delegation exchanges at all levels, regular dialogue and consultation mechanisms held alternately in each country, training, participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations, military medicine, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, service-branch cooperation and defence industry collaboration. Both sides have also coordinated closely in multilateral mechanisms, particularly within the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+).

Giang thanked the US Department of War for its continued support in English-language and professional training, including peacekeeping courses, seminars and workshops both in Việt Nam and abroad. He noted that US-supplied equipment and infrastructure have significantly enhanced Việt Nam’s capacity to participate in UN peacekeeping missions.

The minister emphasised that cooperation in addressing war consequences remains a highlight of bilateral defence ties in three key areas.

First, joint efforts to deal with unexploded ordnance and chemical contamination have continued effectively. He expressed his appreciation for the US announcement of an additional US$130 million to support the dioxin remediation project at Biên Hòa Airport, bringing total US non-refundable aid for the project from $300 million to $430 million.

Notably, on October 31, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lt. Gen. Hoàng Xuân Chiến and US Ambassador to Việt Nam Marc Evans Knapper signed a Memorandum of Understanding on strengthening cooperation in post-war recovery, marking an important milestone and a solid foundation for further joint efforts in this area.

Second, cooperation in searching for US personnel missing in action (MIA) in Việt Nam has continued to produce results. To date, after 160 joint operations, Việt Nam has handed over a total of 994 boxes of remains, of which the US has identified 740. This, Giang said, reflects more than five decades of joint efforts and goodwill between the two countries.

Third, regarding the search for Vietnamese soldiers killed or missing in action during the war, Việt Nam appreciates the information and documents provided by the US, as well as the country's assistance in improving forensic identification capacity. Since the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding on this cooperation in July 2021, Vietnamese defence agencies have verified 44 out of 45 dossiers received from the US and are continuing active search operations.

A view of the talks between Vietnamese Minister of National Defence General Phan Văn Giang and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. — VNA/VNS Photo

Giang expressed hope that the US would continue to support Việt Nam’s defence ministry in developing a skilled workforce and sharing experience in cybersecurity. Việt Nam welcomes US officers to study Vietnamese and participate in the International Defence Officers Course in the country, he said.

He also called on the US to further assist Việt Nam in enhancing its capacity to address unexploded ordnance and chemical contamination, and to finalise internal procedures to ensure the disbursement of the additional $130 million for the Biên Hòa Airport dioxin remediation project as agreed.

The Vietnamese minister also called for continued cooperation in the search for Vietnamese soldiers who died or went missing during the war. He said Việt Nam is committed to facilitating MIA activities to achieve the highest possible efficiency.

He also welcomed the participation of senior US defence officials and advanced defence equipment at the Việt Nam International Defence Exhibition 2024, which contributed to the event’s success. Giang revealed that Việt Nam plans to hold the third edition of the exhibition at the end of 2026 and invited the US Department of War and US defence enterprises to continue their support and participation.

For his part, Secretary Hegseth confirmed that his visit highlights the importance of bilateral defence relations within the framework of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace, Cooperation and Sustainable Development. He reiterated US support for a peaceful and prosperous Việt Nam and commitment to strengthening the partnership to help maintain regional and global peace and stability.

During the talks, both sides exchanged views on global and regional issues of shared concern.

The meeting concluded with an exchange of war memorabilia between the two officials. — VNS

Top Vietnamese and US defence chiefs reviewed the guards of honour of the Việt Nam People's Army during the welcome ceremony in Hà Nội on November 3. — VNA/VNS Photo