Viet Nam, U.S. hold defense policy dialogue in Ha Noi

Hoang underscored the importance of this year's dialogue as it was held on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Viet Nam and the U.S.

He highlighted the sustained progress of the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership, which continues to deepen across multiple areas, including defense.

Defense relations between the two countries have grown increasingly substantive and effective, building on the previously signed agreements and guidance from the countries' leaders, he noted.

He pointed out specific results in all-level delegation exchanges and meetings, dialogues and consultations, defense industry collaboration, military training, UN peacekeeping operations, and military medicine. Both sides have also continued to support each other at multilateral defence forums, particularly within the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM+).

Hoang welcomed the recent U.S. announcement of an additional US$130 million in funding for the dioxin remediation project at Bien Hoa airbase, which brings total U.S. non-refundable assistance for the project to US$430 million.

Programs to support Vietnamese people with disabilities linked to Agent Orange/dioxin exposure have also been expanded. Meanwhile, the joint effort to account for U.S. service members missing in action continues to deliver results. Since the previous dialogue, the two sides have conducted four joint and unilateral excavation missions, leading to the repatriation of eight sets of remains believed to be related to American personnel.

Since August 2024, with support from Harvard University, the two countries have jointly returned 43 sets of personal wartime effects to the families of Vietnamese fallen soldiers and veterans.

In the coming time, the two sides will continue to promote cooperation, focusing on increasing delegation exchanges at all levels, maintaining existing dialogue and consultation mechanisms, and expanding collaboration in areas such as personnel training, military medicine, and UN peacekeeping operations. They also pledged to continue supporting each other at multilateral defence forums, helping affirm ASEAN's central role and contributing to common peace, stability, and development.

The Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense also welcomed U.S. military personnel coming to study Vietnamese at the Military Science Academy and to attend the courses for international defence officials at the National Defence Academy.

With regard to the cooperation in addressing war consequences, Hoang said Viet Nam hopes that all cooperation activities will continue to be carried out in line with the agreed roadmap.

He suggested both sides stepping up communications to raise public awareness both domestically and internationally about the Viet Nam – U.S. collaboration in this highly humanitarian and humanistic field, which has helped both countries "set aside the past and open up a future of peace, cooperation, and development."

At the dialogue, the two sides also discussed some regional and global issues of mutual concern. Hoang underscored Viet Nam's consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, multilateralidation and diversification of external relations, and being ready to cooperate with countries and organisations for peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

Viet Nam supports the settlement of all disputes and differences through peaceful measures in line with international law, he stated, affirming that it stays persistent in its "Four Nos" defence policy – not participating in military alliances, not affiliating with one country to oppose another, not allowing foreign countries to establish military bases or use the Vietnamese territory to oppose other countries, and not using force or threatening to use force in international relations.

On the East Sea issue, Hoang underlined Viet Nam's consistent position of respecting international practices and law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), adhering to the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), and pushing for the early finalisation of a substantive and effective Code of Conduct (COC).

US Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense John Noh reaffirmed his country's high regard for Viet Nam's role in the region and expressed the wish to deepen cooperation with regional countries, including Viet Nam, for peace, stability, and development both regionally and globally. Recalling the February 2025 call between the two defence ministers, he noted that U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had reiterated Washington's support for a prosperous and independent Viet Nam.

Noh added the U.S. strongly supports the settlement of war consequences and highly values the cooperation results gained so far. He described the efforts as a testament to the U.S. goodwill and wish to promote constructive and peaceful engagement with Viet Nam.

He said he hopes in the future, the two sides will effectively implement the Viet Nam – U.S. updated joint vision statement on defense cooperation, signed in September 2024, and expand collaboration in the areas on shared concern.

Concluding the dialogue, the two sides inked the official minutes of the 13th Viet Nam – U.S. Defense Policy Dialogue and exchanged wartime memorabilia records. A letter from the Vietnamese Minister of National Defence to his U.S. counterpart was also presented, expressing the high evaluation of progress in bilateral defence ties and calling for the U.S. Department of Defense's support for trade and tariff negotiations between the two countries./.