Visiting US Senator Jim Webb speaks during a press conference in Hanoi Wednesday.

The United States should adopt more specific diplomatic policies in Southeast Asia, a “vitally important” region for the US, said senator Jim Webb Wednesday.

He noted that Secretary of State Hilary Clinton had twice visited the region this year, showing “how we want to reinvigorate, from the United States’ perspective, our relations in this region.”

Webb said as a former Marine who served during the Vietnam War, he understood that the issue of Agent Orange was important to both Vietnam and the US but he added that a lawsuit was not the “proper way” to address the problem.

There are still negotiations on Agent Orange between the two countries, he said, adding that some scientific evidence was still being debated.

Webb, who chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on East Asia, has long been recognized for his relationship with Vietnam, where he has made various trips in the past 18 years.

The senator said in the coming years both nations should continue working on building a bridge between the Vietnamese communities in the US and those back home.

“Most of them still maintain much love for the country,” he said.

During his meeting with Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung Wednesday, Webb agreed that the two nations should cooperate to increase awareness among Vietnamese expatriates in the US .

Besides the meeting with Dung, the senator also met with Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly Tong Thi Phong and Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem.

Reported by Huong Le (AFP contributed to this report)