Party leader calls for stronger U.S.–Viet Nam cooperation in war legacy remediation

He said the visit holds great significance, reflecting the long journey the two nations have taken to build today's increasingly trusted, substantive, and sustainable Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The Party chief reaffirmed Viet Nam's consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralization of external relations, adherence to international law, and promotion of multilateralism for peace, friendship, cooperation, and development. He stressed that Viet Nam considers the U.S. one of its most important partners and wishes to further deepen cooperation across all sectors for the benefit of both peoples.

Commending President Donald Trump's efforts to promote peace and resolve global conflicts, the General Secretary affirmed Viet Nam's readiness to play an active and responsible role in addressing regional and international challenges.

He highly valued the outcomes of talks between Secretary Hegseth and Vietnamese Defense Minister Phan Van Giang, noting that defense cooperation has become an important pillar of bilateral ties. 

He called on both sides to continue fostering substantive and mutually respectful defense collaboration based on respect for independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, as well as Viet Nam's principles of external relations and national defense, thereby strengthening strategic trust and contributing to regional peace and stability.

For his part, Secretary Pete expressed his honor to visit Viet Nam, a country with an increasingly vital role in the Indo-Pacific region. Conveying President Trump's greetings to the General Secretary, he commended his leadership in advancing the Viet Nam–U.S. relationship and extended condolences over recent flood damage in north-central Viet Nam.

The U.S., he said, treasures its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Viet Nam and supports a strong, independent, resilient, and prosperous Viet Nam. He expressed the U.S.'s desire to enhance strategic cooperation bilaterally and regionally, particularly in areas such as countering transnational crime, maritime security, humanitarian assistance, officer training, UN peacekeeping, and disaster response.

The Secretary reaffirmed Washington's commitment to helping Viet Nam strengthen defense capacity, modernize its defense industry, and expand high-quality personnel training programs.

Highlighting progress in post-war remediation efforts—including dioxin cleanup projects at Bien Hoa and Da Nang airports—Hegseth described these as vivid symbols of reconciliation and partnership. He pledged continued coordination with Viet Nam's Ministry of National Defense to complete ongoing projects and explore new areas of cooperation aligned with both sides' priorities and capabilities.

Both sides agreed on the importance of maintaining high-level exchanges and regular dialogue between their defense agencies—particularly between the Ministry of National Defense and the U.S. Department of War—to build trust, deepen the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and contribute to peace, stability, and sustainable development in the region and beyond.

Concluding the meeting, the Party leader emphasized that bilateral cooperation should continue to be grounded in mutual respect, equality, shared benefits, and the long-term interests of both peoples. He voiced confidence that, with the determination of both countries' leaders, Viet Nam–U.S. relations will advance into a new era of substantive and sustainable cooperation.

Earlier, on October 31, in Ha Noi, the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense, the U.S. Department of War, and the U.S. Department of State signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance cooperation in war legacy remediation. Under the latest MoU, Viet Nam and the U.S. pledged to continue cooperation in clearing unexploded ordnance, improving the quality of life for people with disabilities in areas heavily affected by Agent Orange, cleaning up dioxin at Bien Hoa Airbase, supporting the search, recovery, and identification of Vietnamese martyrs' remains, and maintaining comprehensive cooperation in the search for U.S. service members missing in action in Viet Nam./.