During the talks, General Phan Van Giang congratulated Mr. Pete Hegseth on his appointment as U.S. Secretary of Defense and affirmed that Vietnam consistently pursues the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization and diversification of relations; proactive and active international integration; being a reliable friend and partner, and a responsible member of the international community. Vietnam always considers the U.S. one of its top important strategic partners.
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General Phan Van Giang at the talks |
The Vietnamese defense chief expressed his delight at the effective implementation of bilateral defense cooperation in many fields over the past time, in line with the overall relations between the two countries, as well as the results of the official visit to the U.S. by Vietnam’s Minister of National Defense in September 2024.
General Phan Van Giang underlined that cooperation in addressing war legacy has been a bright spot in the Vietnam - U.S. defense relations. The U.S.'s continued commitment to mobilizing resources to handle dioxin contamination at Bien Hoa airport, supporting disabled people, addressing the consequences of bombs and mines, searching for and repatriating the remains of fallen Vietnamese soldiers, as well as collaboration in finding servicemen missing in action (MIA) during the war in Vietnam, has played an important role.
Gen. Giang also hoped that the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense would continue to maintain delegation exchanges, high-level contacts, and existing consultation and dialogue mechanisms; and successfully organize the 13th Vietnam-U.S. Defense Policy Dialogue in Vietnam.
Meanwhile, both sides should carry out meaningful cooperation activities to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the normalization of Vietnam - U.S. relations (1995-2025).
On the occasion, General Phan Van Giang invited Mr. Pete Hegseth to make an official visit to Vietnam this year.
For his part, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was delighted at the phone talks with General Phan Van Giang and affirmed that the administration of President Donald Trump highly values and appreciates cooperative relations with Vietnam. He also hoped that Vietnam-U.S. relations would be further promoted in the time to come, particularly in defense cooperation, focusing on activities related to addressing the consequences of war.
Translated by Quynh Oanh