Minister of Public Security, General Tô Lâm and Secretary of the US Department of the Interior David Bernhardt sign an agreement on the prevention of wildlife smuggling.  — VNA/VNS Photo

WASHINGTON — Minister of Public Security, General Tô Lâm, held working sessions with US officials in Washington, DC on Wednesday and Thursday as part of his ongoing visit to the US.
Secretary of the US Department of the Interior David Bernhardt expressed his belief that the visit will contribute to deepening the US-Việt Nam comprehensive partnership in general and co-operation between the US department and the Vietnamese ministry in particular.
General Lâm stressed that although peace, co-operation and development are still the major trends of the era, countries around the world are also facing many new difficulties and challenges.
He emphasised the need for law enforcement agencies of Việt Nam and the US to have close and effective co-operation, especially in fighting terrorism, transnational organised crime, drug crimes, money laundering, high-tech crime, human trafficking and illegal trading of wild animals and plants.
He took the occasion to thank the US department for strengthening information exchange and assisting the Vietnamese ministry in personnel training.
Minister Lâm and Secretary Bernhardt signed a Memorandum of Understanding on co-operation between the two agencies to fight illegal wildlife trade.
Earlier, the Vietnamese officer held talks with Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale, during which the two sides compared notes on international and regional issues of common concern. 
They highlighted the fruitful and practical development of Việt Nam–US relations across the fields of security-defence, trade, education, tourism, science-technology and humanity. 
Hale spoke highly of the US–Việt Nam comprehensive partnership, and the co-operation between the Vietnamese ministry and the US department in particular. 
Minister Lâm stressed that Việt Nam sees the US as one of its most important partners and wishes to promote the partnership on the basis of respect for each other's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and political institutions for the benefit of both nations, contributing to the maintenance of peace, stability, co-operation and development in the region and the world.
He thanked the US side for its efforts to complete the detoxification project at Đà Nẵng Airport, expressing his belief that the work at Biên Hòa Airport will be implemented soon.
The same day, the Vietnamese minister also met with David Pakoske, Acting Deputy Secretary of US Department of Homeland Security.
The two sides held that since the US Department of Homeland Security (UDHS) set up a representative office for the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency in HCM City in 1998, co-operation between the Vietnamese ministry and the US department has developed steadily.
Minister Lâm suggested the two agencies foster co-operation, especially the exchange of delegations and sharing of experiences with combating transnational, hi-tech and economic crimes, human trafficking and illegal immigration. He also recommended they consult with each other on the process for mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.
 
Earlier, Minister Lâm met with Ann Griffiths, head of the US’s National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia. — VNS