Minister of National Defence General Phan Văn Giang (left) receives US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Michael DeSombr. — Photo vietnamnet.vn

HÀ NỘI — Minister of National Defence General Phan Văn Giang hosted a reception for Michael DeSombre, US Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, in Hà Nội on Friday.

Giang affirmed that Việt Nam consistently regards the US as one of its important partners, particularly in the field of economy and trade.

He expressed his hope that the two countries will further strengthen cooperation on the basis of equality, mutual benefit, and respect for international law, independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political regimes of each other, thereby contributing to the maintenance of security, peace, stability, and development in the region and the world.

The Vietnamese official noted that in recent years, bilateral defence cooperation has been implemented effectively across multiple areas, including exchanges of delegations at all levels, dialogue and consultations, post-war consequence remediation, training, participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations, cooperation between military services and arms, border defence forces and coast guards, and defence industry collaboration.

On this occasion, Giang thanked the US for its support in addressing the consequences of unexploded ordnance and chemical agents/dioxin left over from the war in Việt Nam, as well as in the search for, recovery, and identification of Vietnamese soldiers who were killed, missing, or unaccounted for during the war.

He suggested that the two sides continue to promote cooperation areas in line with the agreements reached by leaders of their defence ministries.

Việt Nam’s Ministry of National Defence will continue to prioritise cooperation in war legacy remediation, and hopes that the US will keep fulfilling its commitments in this regard, including the additional allocation of US$130 million for the dioxin remediation project at the Biên Hòa airbase area, the minister went on.

Stressing that Việt Nam will keep close coordination and create the best possible conditions for activities related to the search for US personnel missing in action, Giang also called on the US to enhance information sharing on documents and artefacts related to Vietnamese soldiers who laid down or went missing during the war.

He voiced his hope that in his capacity and responsibilities, DeSombre will continue to support the increasingly substantive and effective development of bilateral defence cooperation.

For his part, DeSombre extended his congratulations to Việt Nam on the occasion of the Lunar New Year (Tết) Festival.

Welcoming the progress of the Việt Nam–US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace, cooperation, and sustainable development, including in the defence field, he affirmed that the US Department of State supports Việt Nam in addressing war consequences and identifying Vietnamese soldiers missing in action. — VNA/VNS