Politics & Law
Contracts worth $286.3 million inked at Việt Nam Int’l Defence Expo 2024
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| Minister of Defense Ngô Xuân Lịch (R) receives Cara Abercrombie (L), Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia in Hà Nội yesterday. — Photo thoibao.today |
HÀ NỘI – Co-operation in handling the consequences of the American war in Việt Nam has been one of the highlights in defence co-operation between the two countries, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyễn Chí Vịnh, Deputy Minister of Defence, said yesterday.
“Handling post-war consequences does not only help resolve the impacts of the war but also opens the door for future co-operation,” Vịnh said.
Speaking at the seventh Việt Nam-US Defence Policy Dialogue in Hà Nội, the deputy minister of defence said Việt Nam was always willing to support the United States in its search for MIAs since it understands the humanitarian aspects for the families and the US government.
Vịnh said the project to clean up dioxin, known as Agent Orange, at Đà Nẵng Airport had successfully completed its first phase.
He asked the US Department of Defense for continued support in overcoming the consequences of the American use of Agent Orange, specifically with the project on decontamination at the Biên Hòa Airport area.
Cara Abercrombie, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia, thanked Việt Nam for its support on the MIA issue and pledged to strengthen co-operation on unexploded ordnance detection and on a wartime memories project.
At the dialogue meeting, the two sides also talked about measures to boost co-operations through delegation exchanges, humanitarian support, disaster rescue and training. They also touched upon the Cooperative Humanitarian and Medical Storage Initiative (CHAMSI).
Regarding regional and international issues, Abercrombie said the US would continue its commitments to the Asia-Pacific area. Lieutenant General Vịnh said Việt Nam welcomed any intervention from outside partners in the region as long as such intervention ensures peace, stability and prosperity.
Abercrombie also met with Minister of Defense Ngô Xuân Lịch and briefed him on her talk with Vịnh.
Minister Lịch said Việt Nam and the US still have much unexplored potential for co-operation on issues of national defence. — VNS
