Vietnam and the US have agreed to strengthen dialogue and cooperation in addressing the consequences of war, engage in joint training of military officers and other fields.

Vietnam and the US have agreed to strengthen dialogue and cooperation in addressing the consequences of war, and engage in joint training of military officers as well as in marine security, army medicine and disaster rescue.

The two sides reached the consensus during talks between Minister of National Defence General Phung Quang Thanh and his US counterpart, Robert Gates, in Hanoi on October 11.

At a joint press briefing following the talks, General Thanh stressed that Vietnam would continue to support the US in searching for and repatriating the remains of US MIAs through considering an additional six joint search locations.

For his part, the US Secretary of Defence agreed to actively provide information and assistance for Vietnam ’s search for fallen soldiers, and participate in bomb and mine clearance and dioxin treatment at the Bien Hoa, Da Nang and Phu Cat airports.

Showing his optimism about reaching preliminary agreements, Robert Gates spoke highly of the role of Vietnam and the Vietnamese Defence Ministry in organising the ASEAN Defence Ministerial Meeting Plus (ADMM+), which aims to maintain a stable and peaceful region for the benefits of all parties.

The US defence secretary, together with defence ministers and senior officials from ASEAN member countries and seven other dialogue partners, including China , Japan , the Republic of Korea , New Zealand , Australia , Russia and India , will attend the first ADMM+ initiated by Vietnam on October 12.

US Secretary of Defence meets Hanoian students

The US Secretary of Defence, Robert Gates, talked with teachers, students and staff from Hanoi National University on October 11 during his official visit to Vietnam to attend the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+).

Mr Gates said he was happy to visit Vietnam during the grand celebrations of the capital city’s millennium anniversary, saying it was an opportunity for both countries to consider how to deepen bilateral ties and make a practical contribution to regional peace and stability.

The US defence official praised the active cooperation of Vietnam’s Government, Ministry of Defence and provinces in the search for the remains of US servicemen reported Missing-in-Action (MIA), for repatriation.

He said that bilateral cooperation to assist Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin and clear unexploded ordnance left over from the war have achieved some encouraging results.

Mr Gates expressed his wish to step up talks and expand cooperation in defence affairs with Vietnam such as officers training, medical military cooperation, search and rescue missions after natural disasters and maritime security.

The development of Vietnam-US cooperative relations is not only for mutual benefit but also benefits Southeast Asia and Asia at large, he confirmed.

He used the occasion to highlight Vietnam’s initiative to organise the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting, with eight of its partners taking part.

This is Robert Gates’ first visit to Vietnam in his capacity as US Defence Secretary and the third time by a US Secretary of Defence since the normalisation of relations between the two countries in 1995.

Source: VNA