During a meeting at the U.S. Department of State on November 4 (local time), Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang, Deputy Minister of National Defense of Viet Nam, and Michael George DeSombre, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, focused their discussions on advancing bilateral cooperation toward tangible outcomes, including efforts to search for and identify military personnel missing in action during the war.
Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang affirmed that addressing war legacies is a matter of great importance to the Party, State, Government, military, and people of Viet Nam. Effective cooperation between the two countries, he said, would help heal the wounds of war, build trust, and open up broader opportunities for future cooperation.
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Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang presents a gift to U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Michael George DeSombre. |
The signing of the Limited-scope Project Agreement under the Bien Hoa Air Base Dioxin Remediation Project and the project to support improvements in the quality of life of persons with disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent Orange on September 23, 2026, in Ha Noi, has provided a basis for the U.S. to continue supporting Viet Nam in expanding assistance to persons with disabilities in heavily sprayed areas. It also helps translate into action the U.S. commitment to provide an additional USD 130 million for the Bien Hoa Air Base dioxin remediation project, with the aim of completing it before 2031 and ensuring a safe living environment for local people.
Viet Nam wishes to work with the U.S. to achieve its national goal of basically clearing all land contaminated by bombs, mines, and unexploded ordnance by 2045.
Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang also underscored cooperation in searching for, recovering, and identifying the remains of military personnel missing during the war - an area in which both countries have been actively advancing their efforts. The U.S. has transferred substantial information, data, and wartime memorabilia to Viet Nam, demonstrating its commitment to further participation in and support for the Vietnamese Government’s 500-day campaign.
At the meeting, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang informed the U.S. side that Viet Nam had returned memorabilia related to the U.S. Marine Corps camp in Da Nang, further demonstrating Viet Nam’s goodwill, sincerity, and spirit of cooperation.
He expressed his hope that the two sides would soon sign a fair and balanced reciprocal trade agreement, and called on the U.S. to remove Viet Nam from the D:1 and D:3 export control country groups at an early date.
In his turn, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Michael George DeSombre spoke highly of the positive development of the Viet Nam-U.S. Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace, cooperation, and sustainable development, including defense cooperation. He affirmed that the U.S. supports an independent, self-reliant, and prosperous Viet Nam, and voiced support for Viet Nam’s efforts to address war legacies and identify military personnel missing in action.
Both sides agreed on the importance of building on the achievements made and advancing cooperation in line with previously agreed commitments, thereby generating further momentum for bilateral defense ties.
Translated by Quynh Oanh