Viet Nam, U.S. hold 14th Defense Policy Dialogue in Washington

Nguyen expressed his sincere appreciation for the effective assistance and support provided by the U.S. Department of War, which strongly demonstrated the U.S.' commitment to addressing the consequences of war in Viet Nam.

He expressed his hope that the U.S. would continue supporting Viet Nam in strengthening its capacity to address post-war bomb and mine contamination and the consequences of chemical warfare.

Nguyen urged the U.S. to consider assisting the Viet Nam National Mine Action Centre (VNMAC) in implementing projects to clear land contaminated by bombs and mines in several areas of the central province of Quang Ngai in accordance with International Mine Action Standards (IMAS), contributing to goal of basically clearing all land contaminated by bombs, mines and unexploded ordnance in Viet Nam by 2045.

He further called for effective implementation of signed agreements related to the Dioxin Remediation at Bien Hoa Air Base Area Project and the project to support improvements in the quality of life of persons with disabilities in provinces heavily affected by Agent Orange.

The Vietnamese Deputy Minister also expressed his hope that the U.S. would enhance the sharing of information, documents and memorabilia relating to Vietnamese soldiers who sacrificed their lives or were reported missing during the war, while supporting efforts to strengthen DNA testing capacity for the identification of war remains.

Viet Nam will continue creating the most favorable conditions for search operations for U.S. military personnel missing in action (MIA) during the war, noted Nguyen.

Noh, for his part, 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 reaffirmed the U.S.' support for an independent, self-reliant and prosperous Viet Nam and its "Four No's" defense policy.

The host expressed thanks to the Vietnamese Government and people for their efforts over more than four decades in searching for U.S. military personnel missing in action in Viet Nam.

He reaffirmed the U.S.' goodwill and desire to promote peaceful and constructive cooperation with Viet Nam.

Noh suggested the two sides would actively share information and strengthen connectivity in addressing war legacies, adding that the exchange of archival documents, joint research and promotion of technological applications are important areas that both sides should continue to prioritize in the coming time.

Noh called on both sides to implement agreed cooperation areas, with a focus on all-level delegation exchanges, education and training, United Nations peacekeeping operations, cooperation between military services and arms, search and rescue, cybersecurity, defense industry, military medicine, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and consultations and mutual support within multilateral defense and security cooperation mechanisms and forums.

Following the dialogue, both sides signed the minutes of the 14th Viet Nam-U.S. Defense Policy Dialogue.

The same day, Nguyen had a meeting with Acting U.S. Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao.

Cao recalled his positive impressions from his recent visit to Viet Nam and spoke highly of the positive development of Viet Nam-U.S. relations, noting that defense cooperation continued to play an important role in promoting peace and prosperity in both countries, as well as security, cooperation and development in the region.

He expressed his desire to further expand bilateral cooperation in areas such as addressing war legacies, maritime security, capacity building, humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

Nguyen, for his side, called on the U.S. to continue backing Viet Nam in expanding the scope of the project assisting persons with disabilities in localities heavily affected by Agent Orange.

He also urged the U.S. to fulfil its commitments to the Dioxin Remediation at Bien Hoa Air Base Area Project, with a view to completing the project before 2031 and providing a safe living environment for local residents.

Viet Nam expects to work with the U.S. to achieve the national goal of basically clearing all land contaminated by bombs, mines and unexploded ordnance by 2045, noted Nguyen.

He proposed that the two sides continue close cooperation in searching for, recovering and identifying the remains of military personnel from both countries who died during the war./.