Vietnam, US convene 13th Political-Security-Defence Dialogue

This was the first dialogue of its kind after both nations upgraded their relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership in September 2023.

The two sides hailed the effective bilateral coordination in implementing the high-level commitments outlined in the 2023 joint statement on the elevation of the relationship.

They expressed their satisfaction with the practical progress made across all areas, including politics-diplomacy, economy-trade, security-defence, as well as culture, education and people-to-people exchanges, thus creating a positive momentum towards the 30th founding anniversary of Vietnam-US diplomatic ties (1995-2025).

Vietnam regards  the US as a partner of strategic importance and welcomed the US's commitment to support a strong, independent, self-reliant, and prosperous Vietnam.

He suggested the two sides step up  coordination to develop the comprehensive strategic partnership framework in a deep, practical and stable fashion; intensify high-level meetings to maintain stability and positive momentum for the bilateral relations and to effectively utilise dialogue mechanisms, including the Political-Security-Defence Dialogue in order to build trust, mutual understanding, and cooperation, while dealing with obstacles in the bilateral relationship.

The Vietnamese official also welcomed the inclusion of high-tech cooperation in the dialogue agenda for the first time as a contribution to the implementation of collaboration in this breakthrough field as affirmed in the 2023 Vietnam-US Joint Statement.

Jenkins praised the effective implementation of existing agreements on defence and security cooperation, and agreed to continue prioritising the settlement of war consequences in the bilateral relationship.

The US pledged to maintain resources for collaborating with and supporting Vietnam in addressing the war aftermath, including dioxin decontamination, bomb and mine clearance, assistance to Agent Orange victims, and the search, gathering, and identification of fallen soldiers' remains, the US diplomat said.

Jenkins also expressed gratitude to the Vietnamese government for its active and effective cooperation in the search for missing US servicemen during the wartime, adding that the US will continue to enhance defence and security cooperation with Vietnam under established frameworks and agreements, suitable to Vietnam's needs. This includes cooperation in areas such as training, military medicine, peacekeeping, counter-terrorism, and prevention and control of cybersecurity and high-tech crimes.

Concerning international and regional issues of shared concern, both sides consented to ramp up cooperation for peace, security, collaboration and development in the region and the world.

Jenkins affirmed that the US highly evaluates and prioritizes the Indo-Pacific region, and supports ASEAN's central role in the regional architecture. She also affirmed that the US will continue to work hand in hand with Vietnam to further improve the effectiveness of the ASEAN-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and the Mekong-US Partnership.

With regard to the East Sea situation, they underlined the importance of maintaining peace, security, and order at sea, promoting freedom of navigation and overflight in the sea. They underscored the principle of not using or threatening to use force, and settling disputes peacefully in line with international law, especially the United Nations Charter and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The two sides devised a score of specific measures to maintain the effective implementation of the 2023 Vietnam-US Joint Statement.