Vietnamese Minister of National Defence General Ngo Xuan Lich (R) and US Secretary of Defence James Mattis (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Ministerof National Defence General Ngo Xuan Lich held talks with US Secretary ofDefence James Mattis, following an official welcoming ceremony for the latter inHanoi on January 25.
The two ministers reviewed theresults of defence cooperation between Vietnam and the US in the recent pastand agreed on measures and orientations to promote cooperative ties in thecoming time, based on a memorandum of understanding on defence cooperationsigned in 2011, a Joint Vision Statement on defence ties signed in 2015, an actionplan for 2018-2020, and agreements reached by their senior leaders.
Both held that the bilateraldefence cooperation has been producing practical outcomes in line with theVietnam-US comprehensive partnership, particularly in searching for missing USservicemen, AO/dioxin decontamination, bomb and mine clearance, rescue andhumanitarian aid, and UN peacekeeping operation.
The two ministers also discusseda number of regional and international issues of mutual concern.
The Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence applauded the US’scooperation in a project on dioxin remediation at Bien Hoa Airport as well asits support for Vietnam’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations.
The defence ministries of the twonations also asked their senior leaders for permission to allow an US aircraftcarrier to visit the central city of Da Nang in March this year.
After the talks, Lich handed overwar keepsakes of US servicemen to Mattis and introduced an exhibition on theoutcomes of bilateral cooperation in addressing post-war consequences andjoining UN peacekeeping operations.
Mattis is paying an official visitto Vietnam on January 24 and 25. This is the 6th visit to Vietnam bya US Secretary of Defence since the two countries normalised relations in 1995and the first by Mattis since he took office as leader of the Pentagon.-VNA
VNA
