Viet Nam, US to expand defence collaboration

Viet Nam and the United States yesterday agreed on the need to expand bilateral defence collaboration to new areas including human resources training, UN peacekeeping missions, co-operation in army medicine as well as disaster relief operations.

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The agreement was reached during a defence policy dialogue between Vietnamese and US delegations led respectively by


Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh, Deputy Minister of National Defence, and Amy Searight, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for South and Southeast Asia.

The two sides exchanged views on regional and global issues of common concern and reviewed implementation of a memorandum of understanding on bilateral defence co-operation, especially in the search for missing in action (MIA) soldiers; clearing bombs, mines and other unexploded ordnance (UXO); and cleaning up Agent Orange/dioxin clean-up.

The same day, the US guests were received by Minister of National Defence Gen. Phung Quanh Thanh, who said the dialogue would help consolidate and strengthen the ties of comprehensive partnership between Viet Nam and the US .

Searight expressed her hope that defence relations between the two countries would thrive in the future, contributing to peace, stability and development in the region and the world.