Deputy Minister of Defence Lt. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh and US Deputy
Assistant Secretary of Defence Robert Scher announced the results of the
first Vietnam-US defence policy dialogue at the deputy ministerial
level at a press briefing in Hanoi on August 17.
Deputy Minister Vinh said both sides are pleased at the results of the
dialogue. They discussed a number of issues on defence policy and
bilateral cooperation as well as measures to boost the two countries’
defence cooperation on the basis of mutual benefit and respecting each
other’s independence and sovereignty, Vinh said.
The
dialogue between the Vietnamese Defence Ministry and the US Department
of Defence took place when both countries are celebrating the 15 th
anniversary of the normalisation of Vietnam-US diplomatic ties, he said.
Vinh said that both sides have found a common voice
in a number of regional and international issues and mentioned future
cooperation in overcoming war consequences, seeking American Missing in
Actions (MIA) in Vietnam and exchanging delegations of Vietnamese
military students to study English in the US and vice versa.
The two sides touched upon cooperation in rescue and coping with sea and land disasters, he added.
He confirmed that the two countries’ defence cooperation would
contribute to regional and world peace and stability and would not be
harmful to other countries.
In response to
reporters’ questions, Deputy Minister Vinh said the dialogue did not
spend much time on the East Sea issue but focused on bilateral
future defence cooperation.
However, both sides
agreed that the East Sea issue as well as other security issues
need to be resolved in accordance with international law in the spirit
of constructive, friendly and peaceful means without imposing subjective
will.
Talking with the press, Robert Scher said
that at the dialogue, the two sides finalised exchange mechanisms and
policy and international and regional issue cooperation.
The dialogue took place in a spirit of openness and concluded
successfully, he said, adding that the discussed contents will create
many opportunities for both sides to expand bilateral defence
cooperation in the future.
This will be an important foundation for progress in the Vietnam-US defence relations in the future, he said./.
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