This morning, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Minister of National Defense, and Mr. John Noh jointly chaired the 13th Vietnam - U.S. Defense Policy Dialogue.

The dialogue took place on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Vietnam-U.S. diplomatic relations. The comprehensive strategic partnership for peace, cooperation, and sustainable development between the two countries continues to grow stronger and more substantive, particularly in the field of defense.

Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien emphasized that cooperation in addressing the consequences of war remains a highlight of bilateral ties. This area of collaboration receives strong commitment from both countries' top leaders and is regarded as a priority in the relationship.

He welcomed the United States' announcement of a new grant worth $130 million for the dioxin remediation project at Bien Hoa airbase. This brings the total U.S. government grant aid for the project from $300 million to $430 million.

Since the previous dialogue, both sides have jointly carried out four mixed excavation missions and unilaterally returned eight caskets believed to contain remains of U.S. service members.

Since August 2024, with the support of Harvard University, the two countries have also collaborated to return 43 dossiers of wartime memorabilia related to Vietnamese soldiers to their families.

Looking ahead, the two sides will strengthen their cooperation and effectively implement key priorities, including maintaining established dialogue-consultation mechanisms, collaboration in training, military medicine, United Nations peacekeeping missions, and continuing to consult and support each other at multilateral defense forums.

The Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense welcomes U.S. military personnel to study Vietnamese at the Military Science Academy and attend the International Defense Officials Course at the National Defense Academy.

Both sides expressed their desire to continue cooperation on war legacy issues following a set roadmap. They proposed strengthening communication efforts so the public in both countries and the international community better understand this humanitarian, humanistic model of Vietnam-U.S. relations - helping to “put the past behind and open a future of peace, cooperation, and development.”

Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien reaffirmed Vietnam’s consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, and development, as well as multilateralization and diversification of foreign relations. He reiterated Vietnam’s commitment to resolving disputes through peaceful means in accordance with international law and upholding its “four no’s” national defense policy.

On the South China Sea issue, Vietnam maintains its consistent position that all parties must adhere to customary and international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Vietnam also calls for the full implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and the early, substantive conclusion of the Code of Conduct (COC).

Recalling the February phone call between the two defense ministers, Mr. John Noh shared that U.S. Secretary of Defense Hegseth reaffirmed support for a strong, independent Vietnam.

The United States strongly supports efforts to address war legacies and appreciates the effectiveness of the MIA program. These activities demonstrate America’s goodwill and desire to advance peaceful cooperation with Vietnam.

Mr. John Noh expressed hope that both countries would effectively implement the agreements outlined in the updated Vietnam - U.S. Joint Vision Statement on Defense Cooperation signed in September 2024 and expand collaboration in areas of mutual interest.

The United States values Vietnam’s role in the region and wishes to deepen cooperation for peace, stability, and development in both the region and the world.

Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien also delivered a letter from Vietnam’s Minister of National Defense to the U.S. Secretary of Defense, commending the growth of bilateral defense cooperation and requesting U.S. support and engagement to facilitate trade and tariff negotiations that serve both nations' interests.

Tran Thuong