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General Phan Van Giang and U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth |
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General Phan Van Giang and U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth exchange information and wartime memorabilia. |
During his meeting with U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, both sides welcomed the positive development of Viet Nam-U.S. defense cooperation in dialogue, consultations, defense industry, military medicine and war legacy settlement. They also exchanged information and wartime memorabilia, contributing to Viet Nam’s ongoing 500-day campaign to accelerate the search for, recovery and identification of fallen soldiers’ remains.
General Phan Van Giang expressed his hope that building on the Limited Scope Project Agreements (LSPAs) signed on September 23 by Viet Nam’s Deputy Minister of National Defense and the U.S. Ambassador to Viet Nam, the U.S. would continue supporting Viet Nam’s efforts in assisting persons with disabilities affected by Agent Orange and fulfill its additional USD 130 million commitment to the Bien Hoa Air Base dioxin remediation project. He also called for U.S. support to help Viet Nam clear all areas contaminated by postwar bombs and unexploded ordnance by 2045. Both sides agreed to advance bilateral defense cooperation in line with their respective needs, capabilities and interests, contributing to peace, stability and development in the region and the world. General Phan Van Giang also welcomed the U.S. Department of War’s plan to display modern defense equipment at the third Viet Nam Defense Expo, scheduled for December 10-13, 2026, in Ha Noi.
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General Phan Van Giang holds a bilateral meeting with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles. |
At his meeting with Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense Richard Marles, General Phan Van Giang welcomed the progress in the bilateral defense cooperation, including high-level exchanges, dialogue, consultations, United Nations peacekeeping, military medicine, naval cooperation and experience sharing. He expressed his sincere appreciation to the Australian Department of Defense for continuing to provide aircraft to transport Viet Nam’s Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 8 to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan. He proposed further cooperation in delegation exchanges, naval activities, search and rescue, war legacy remediation, and mutual support at regional and international forums. He also expressed his hope that Australian experts would share their experience in searching for and recovering the remains of fallen Vietnamese soldiers.
During his meeting with Japanese Minister of Defense Koizumi Shinjiro, both sides welcomed the increasingly substantive and effective development of Viet Nam-Japan relations under their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace and Prosperity in Asia and the World. They also noted the progress in ASEAN-Japan defense cooperation under the Vientiane Vision 2.0 and Japan’s JASMINE initiative, with activities including naval training, air force officer development, cybersecurity cooperation and capacity-building assistance.
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General Phan Van Giang holds a bilateral meeting with Japanese Minister of Defense Koizumi Shinjiro. |
At his meeting with Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro, both sides welcomed the comprehensive development of Viet Nam-Philippines relations over the 50 years since diplomatic ties were established on July 12, 1976. The state visit to the Philippines by General Secretary and State President To Lam and his spouse in June 2026 provided fresh momentum for stronger and more effective bilateral defense cooperation.
The two countries have achieved practical results through high-level exchanges, cooperation between arms and services, dialogue and consultations, maritime security, training, military medicine, young officer exchanges, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and search and rescue. General Phan Van Giang proposed expanding cooperation in these areas, as well as logistics, defense industry, human resource training and cybersecurity.
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General Phan Van Giang and Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro at their bilateral meeting |
During the meetings, General Phan Van Giang said that the Vietnamese MND would welcome senior leaders of the U.S. Department of War and the defense ministries of Australia, Japan and the Philippines to attend the third Viet Nam Defense Expo, and defense companies from these countries to exhibit their products at the event.
Translated by Tran Hoai