Hanoi, November 02, 2025 – The Europe Today: Việt Nam and the United States have reaffirmed that cooperation in overcoming the consequences of war remains a top priority in their overall defence relations, underscoring its importance in building mutual trust and deepening ties between the two countries, their militaries and peoples.
The consensus was reached on Sunday during talks between Vietnamese Minister of National Defence General Phan Văn Giang and US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, who is on an official visit to Việt Nam from November 2 to 3. The meeting followed an official welcome ceremony in Hanoi.
Minister Giang highlighted that Secretary Hegseth’s visit holds special significance as it coincides with the 30th anniversary of Việt Nam–US diplomatic relations (1995–2025). He said the visit would help advance the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace, Cooperation and Sustainable Development and further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation.
Both sides agreed that defence cooperation has developed in line with the guidance of senior leaders and in accordance with key documents, including the 2011 Memorandum of Understanding on Promoting Bilateral Defense Cooperation and the 2024 Updated Joint Vision Statement on Defense Relations.
They reviewed key areas of cooperation such as delegation exchanges, regular dialogue and consultation mechanisms, military medicine, UN peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, service-branch cooperation, and defence industry collaboration. The two sides have also coordinated closely within multilateral mechanisms, particularly the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+).
Giang expressed appreciation for the US Department of War’s support in English-language and professional training, including peacekeeping courses and seminars, noting that US-provided equipment and infrastructure have significantly enhanced Việt Nam’s peacekeeping capacity.
The minister emphasized that cooperation in addressing war consequences remains a highlight of bilateral defence ties, encompassing three main areas.
First, efforts to address unexploded ordnance and chemical contamination have yielded positive results. Giang thanked the US for announcing an additional US$130 million for the dioxin remediation project at Biên Hòa Airport, bringing total US non-refundable assistance for the project to $430 million. He also noted the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on October 31 between Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lt. Gen. Hoàng Xuân Chiến and US Ambassador Marc Evans Knapper, marking a new milestone in post-war recovery cooperation.
Second, cooperation in searching for US personnel missing in action (MIA) in Việt Nam continues to progress. To date, after 160 joint operations, Việt Nam has handed over 994 boxes of remains, with 740 identified by the US. Giang said this achievement demonstrates more than five decades of goodwill and joint efforts between the two nations.
Third, Việt Nam values US assistance in searching for Vietnamese soldiers killed or missing in action, including information sharing and forensic support. Since the signing of a related MoU in July 2021, Việt Nam has verified 44 of 45 dossiers received from the US. Giang urged continued cooperation in this area, as well as US support in capacity-building and cybersecurity training.
He called on the US to accelerate the disbursement of the additional $130 million pledged for the Biên Hòa project and to continue supporting Việt Nam in enhancing its capacity to handle unexploded ordnance and chemical contamination.
The Vietnamese minister also welcomed the participation of senior US defence officials and defence enterprises at the Việt Nam International Defence Exhibition 2024, inviting continued US involvement in the third edition scheduled for late 2026.
For his part, Secretary Hegseth affirmed that his visit underscores the US commitment to strengthening bilateral defence relations within the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership framework. He reiterated US support for a peaceful, independent, and prosperous Việt Nam and the shared goal of maintaining regional and global peace and stability.
During the meeting, both officials exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual concern. The talks concluded with an exchange of war memorabilia between Minister Giang and Secretary Hegseth.
