Congratulating Hung Cao on his appointment as Acting Secretary of the U.S. Navy, General Phan Van Giang expressed confidence that he would continue to play an important role in strengthening ties between the two countries and their defense ministries.
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General Phan Van Giang and Acting Secretary of the U.S. Navy Hung Cao |
General Phan Van Giang noted that Vietnam - U.S. defense cooperation has developed effectively in recent years, in line with the broader bilateral relationship. Cooperation has focused on high-level exchanges, training, U.N. peacekeeping operations, arm and service cooperation, cyber-security, maritime security, military medicine, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief.
He expressed hope that both sides would continue implementing existing agreements and expand cooperation in key areas, including exchanges at all levels, training, maritime security, defense industry collaboration, and cooperation between arms and services.
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An overview of the meeting |
Emphasizing the spirit of “putting the past aside and looking toward the future,” General Phan Van Giang reaffirmed Vietnam’s commitment to cooperation in addressing war legacy. Based on the Memorandum of Understanding on Promoting Cooperation in Addressing War Legacy signed in October 2025, he called on the U.S. to fulfill its commitments to Vietnam, including an additional USD 130 million for the dioxin remediation project at Bien Hoa Airbase. He proposed that the project be completed before 2030 to provide a safer living environment for local communities.
The Vietnamese Defense Minister also reaffirmed that the Ministry of National Defense would continue to facilitate efforts to search for U.S. personnel missing in action (MIA) during the war. He expressed hope that the U.S. would increase the sharing of information, documents, and memorabilia related to Vietnamese soldiers and support efforts to strengthen DNA identification capabilities for remains, contributing to the implementation of Vietnam’s “500-Day Campaign” to accelerate the search, recovery, and identification of fallen soldiers’ remains.
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General Phan Van Giang presents a souvenir to the Acting Secretary of the U.S. Navy. |
General Phan Van Giang voiced confidence that Acting Secretary Hung Cao would continue to promote bilateral defense cooperation, particularly in maritime security, contributing to stronger overall relations between the two countries.
He also welcomed the participation of U.S. officials and defense companies in the third Vietnam Defense Expo, scheduled to take place in Hanoi in December 2026.
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General Phan Van Giang, Acting Secretary of the U.S. Navy Hung Cao, and delegates from both sides in a joint photo |
For his part, Acting Secretary Hung Cao thanked General Phan Van Giang for receiving the delegation and praised the progress of Vietnam - U.S. defense cooperation, especially in the maritime domain. He expressed hope that both sides would continue to expand cooperation in this field, further deepening ties between the two defense ministries and the two countries.
Translated by Tran Hoai