At the reception, both General Giang and General Goldfein agreed that the bilateral defense relationship has been recently strengthened in accordance with the Vietnam-U.S. comprehensive partnership, the Memorandum of Understanding on advancing bilateral defense cooperation signed in 2011, and the Joint Vision Statement on Defense Relations inked in 2015.

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Senior Lieutenant General Phan Van Giang (R) talks with General David L. Goldfein.

Accordingly, the two countries have effectively expanded defense ties on par with each side’s capabilities and demands, particularly in delegation exchange, dialogues, war consequence relief, search and rescue, humanitarian assistance, military medicine, personnel training, participation in U.N. peacekeeping operations, maritime security, and defense industry.

The host and the guest wanted the two militaries to continue to promote their cooperation in the above spheres, while believing that the outcomes of the bilateral defense relations would considerably contribute to the Vietnam-U.S. comprehensive partnership.

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Senior Lieutenant General Phan Van Giang hands over a gift to General David L. Goldfein.

In addition, General Giang highly valued the development of cooperation and ties between the two air forces, adding that the leaderships of the Defense Ministry and the VPA’s General Staff always back and create favorable conditions to boost the bilateral defense relations, including cooperation between the two services.

The Vietnamese Deputy Defense Minister stressed that the Vietnam-U.S. defense ties will further develop for the sake of each country and to make contributions to peace, stability, and development in the region.

Translated by Van Hieu