Deputy Foreign Minister Hà Kim Ngọc and the US’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Tina Kaidanow co-chaired the ninth Việt Nam-US Political, Security and Defence Dialogue in Hà Nội yesterday. — Photo vietnamvathegioi.vn

HÀ NỘI – Deputy Foreign Minister Hà Kim Ngọc and the US’s Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Tina Kaidanow co-chaired the ninth Việt Nam-US Political, Security and Defence Dialogue in Hà Nội yesterday.

Both Ngọc and Kaidanow recognised positive developments in bilateral ties since Việt Nam and the US set up their comprehensive partnership in 2013.

Ngọc affirmed that Việt Nam highly values and hopes to intensify the relationship with the US in a stable, extensive and effective manner on the basis of respecting each other’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and political regime, thus contributing to maintaining peace, stability, co-operation and development in the Asia-Pacific region and the world.

He suggested that the two countries focus on efficiently implementing agreements reached by their senior leaders in 2017, aiming to continue boosting ties in a practical and effective manner, while maintaining regular meetings and dialogues, and promoting the growth of bilateral cooperation in economy, trade and investment.

Ngọc also showed satisfaction in regards to the security-defence relationship, including the successful visit to Việt Nam by US Secretary of Defence James Mattis in early 2018.

He proposed that the two sides strengthen co-operation in humanitarian activities and overcoming the aftermath of war, focusing on the remediation project in Biên Hòa airport, UXO clearance, assistance to war victims and search for Vietnamese soldiers missing during the war.

Kaidanow agreed that the two sides should maintain their growth trend and deepen bilateral ties through the exchange of delegations, especially high-ranking ones, while promoting the efficiency of existing collaboration mechanisms and considering the economic, trade and investment partnership as a key pillar and motivation in forging stronger cooperation in the future.

She said that the two sides should continue bolstering security and defence ties. While affirming that dealing with war consequences is a priority of the US in security-defence co-operation, she pledged that the US would continue working with Việt Nam in the field. Kaidanow also pointed to high potential in bilateral co-ordination in humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, search and rescue, maritime security, and defence trade.

At the dialogue, the two sides also discussed measures to enhance co-operation in regional and international issues of shared concern. They concurred to support the central role of ASEAN in matters related to peace, stability, co-operation and development in the region, promoting coordination in nuclear weapon nonproliferation, anti-terrorism, cyber security, international crimes, and peacekeeping activities at the United Nations.

They exchanged viewpoints on the East Sea issue, reaffirming the significance of ensuring that maritime and aviation security, safety, freedom and trade are not hindered in the East Sea. They highlighted the need to not use or threaten to use force, as well as the settlement of maritime disputes through peaceful measures in compliance with international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS), the full respect of diplomatic and legal processes, the effective implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and the soon signing of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

Both sides agreed to hold the 10th dialogue in Washington DC. — VNS