Addressing Vietnamese and foreign reporters aboard the ship, Panetta stressed that his current Vietnam visit aims to expand national defence cooperation under an agreement signed last year between the US Department of Defence and the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence.   

Both sides will focus their cooperation in such areas as marine search and rescue, control of natural disasters, and maintenance of maritime security, safety and freedom in the East Sea.

He said that the US and Vietnam have the potential for stronger national defence relationship and that the former is trying to lift this relationship to a new height.

Panetta thanked Vietnam for supporting the US in searching for US personnel believed to be missing during the Vietnam War.