Washington, D.C., December 21, 2025 – The Europe Today: Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Đặng Hoàng Giang and US Acting Assistant Secretary of State Fleet White co-chaired the 14th Việt Nam–US Political-Security-Defence Dialogue in Washington, D.C., focusing on enhancing bilateral cooperation across political, security, and defence domains.
The annual dialogue serves as a platform to review and set orientations for Việt Nam–US cooperation, strengthen mutual understanding, build trust, and promote the stable and substantive development of bilateral relations.
Both sides reflected on the state of relations after 30 years of diplomatic ties and two years since upgrading to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, noting sustained positive progress. Việt Nam reaffirmed its view of the US as a leading strategic partner and welcomed increased US engagement in regional peace, stability, and development. The US side described the relationship as a model in international relations, evolving from former adversaries to comprehensive strategic partners, and expressed support for an independent, strong, prosperous, and resilient Việt Nam.
Key achievements highlighted during the dialogue included sustained exchanges at all levels, enhanced law enforcement collaboration, efforts against transnational crime, responses to non-traditional security challenges, and the effective implementation of projects addressing war consequences, including the search for US servicemen missing in action (MIA). The US expressed gratitude for Việt Nam’s active cooperation in MIA efforts and reaffirmed commitments to dioxin remediation, unexploded ordnance clearance, and initiatives supporting DNA identification for missing Vietnamese soldiers.
The co-chairs emphasized that current bilateral political, defence, and security mechanisms provide vital platforms for information sharing, managing differences, and advancing practical, sustainable cooperation. Building on these outcomes, both sides agreed to deepen collaboration under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework, including defence industry cooperation, capacity building for maritime law enforcement, specialized crime prevention coordination, and high-technology controls.
On regional and global security issues, both parties underscored the importance of maintaining peace, stability, security, safety, and freedom of navigation and overflight; refraining from the use or threat of force; and settling disputes peacefully in accordance with international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). They reaffirmed the central role of ASEAN in regional architecture.
Concluding the dialogue, the co-chairs agreed to maintain its effectiveness, strengthen exchanges at all levels—particularly senior-level consultations—and implement agreed cooperation initiatives, contributing to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for the benefit of both peoples and regional stability.
During the visit, Deputy Minister Giang also met with Daniel Twining, President of the International Republican Institute, representatives of the National Democratic Institute, and Communist Party USA Co-Chairs Joe Sims and Rossana Cambron. The meetings focused on preparations for Việt Nam’s 14th National Party Congress and future party-to-party cooperation. The delegation also engaged with US organisations, businesses, and scholars to exchange views on bilateral, regional, and global issues of common interest.
