Vietnam, US stress post-war recovery as priority in bilateral defense ties

VOV.VN - Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang, member of the Party Central Committee, standing member of the Central Military Commission, and Deputy Minister of National Defense, on November 5 co-chaired the 14th Vietnam-US Defense Policy Dialogue alongside John Noh, Assistant Secretary of the US Department of War.

During the dialogue, both sides acknowledged progress in bilateral defense cooperation and agreed to continue deepening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

General Thang emphasized that over recent times, the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace, Cooperation, and Sustainable Development has continued to develop positively and deepen substantively across multiple domains, including defense cooperation. Bilateral defense cooperation has been actively and effectively implemented across various fields, encompassing: delegation exchanges and contacts at all levels, particularly high-level; maintaining dialogue and consultation mechanisms; post-war recovery; searching for information on Vietnamese and US service members killed, missing in action, or unaccounted for during the war; defense industry; cooperation between service and combat branches; military medicine; cyber security; humanitarian assistance and disaster relief; border management; immigration control; combating transnational and cross-border crimes; United Nations peacekeeping operations; and mutual consultation and support at regional and international multilateral forums, notably the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM+).

Post-war recovery continues to be a bright spot in Vietnam-US relations, with strong commitments from senior leaders of both countries, who consider this a priority in bilateral ties. The signing on September 23, 2026, in Hanoi of the Project Agreement for the Limited Scope of the Bien Hoa Air Base Dioxin Remediation Project and the Support for Improving Quality of Life of Persons with Disabilities in Heavily Agent Orange-Sprayed Provinces between Vietnam and the US serves as the basis for the US to expand disability support in heavily Agent Orange-sprayed localities, while actualizing the committed US$130 million funding for the Bien Hoa dioxin remediation project to complete the project before 2031, providing a safe living environment for local residents.

On this occasion, General Thang expressed gratitude for the effective support and assistance of the US Department of War, reflecting a strong US commitment to war legacy remediation in Vietnam.”

Assistant Secretary John Noh appreciated the positive development of the "Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace, Cooperation, and Sustainable Development" in recent times, including defense cooperation; and reaffirmed continued US support for an independent, self-reliant, and prosperous Vietnam, as well as its "Four No's" defense policy.

Regarding war legacy remediation, John Noh expressed thanks to the Government and people of Vietnam for their efforts over more than four decades in searching for US service members missing in action (MIA) in Vietnam. The goodwill and close cooperation of both sides in this field have created a solid foundation and a model, contributing to "closing the past and opening a peaceful, cooperative, and developing future" between the two nations.

Looking ahead, both sides will continue coordinating to realize agreed-upon cooperation contents, focusing on: delegation exchanges at all levels, especially high-level delegations; dialogue and consultation mechanisms; war legacy remediation; education and training; UN peacekeeping operations; cooperation among service and combat branches; search and rescue; cyber security; defense industry; military medicine; humanitarian assistance and disaster relief; and continued mutual consultation and support within multilateral defense-security cooperation mechanisms and forums.

General Thang expressed the desire for the US to continue supporting Vietnam in enhancing its capacity for unexploded ordnance (UXO) and post-war chemical toxic waste remediation; to consider supporting the Vietnam National Mine Action Center (VNMAC) in deploying land release projects for UXO-contaminated areas in accordance with International Mine Action Standards (IMAS) in several areas of Quang Ngai province, toward Vietnam's national target of essentially clearing all land contaminated with unexploded ordnance and explosives by 2045; to effectively implement signed agreements concerning the Bien Hoa Air Base dioxin remediation project and the project supporting the quality of life of persons with disabilities in heavily Agent Orange-sprayed provinces; and expressed the wish for the US to enhance the sharing of information, documents, and memorabilia concerning Vietnamese soldiers who died, went missing, or are unaccounted for in the war, and to assist in upgrading DNA identification capabilities for wartime remains, contributing to accelerating the 500-day-and-night campaign to intensify the search, recovery, and identification of martyrs' remains launched by the Vietnamese Government. Vietnam commits to continuing to create the most favorable conditions for MIA operations.

Supporting and appreciating the outcomes of defense cooperation, Assistant Secretary John Noh concurrently affirmed the goodwill and desire of the US to promote peaceful and constructive cooperation with Vietnam. Regarding war legacy remediation, John Noh expressed the desire for both sides to actively share information and strengthen connectivity. The sharing of archival documents, collaborative research, and the promotion of technology application hold great significance and will remain priorities for both sides in the coming period.

At the dialogue, the two sides also exchanged views on the regional and international situation and issues of mutual concern. Concluding the dialogue, the two heads of delegation signed the minutes of the 14th Vietnam-US Defense Policy Dialogue.

vietnam, us stress post-war recovery as priority in bilateral defense ties picture 2 — Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang meets with Tim Rieser, assistant to former Senator Patrick Leahy. (Photo: VNA)

Earlier, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang met with Hung Cao, Acting US Secretary of the Navy. General Thang noted with pleasure the positive development of the "Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for Peace, Cooperation, and Sustainable Development" over recent times. In this context, bilateral defense cooperation has continued to expand across multiple fields, prominently featuring high-level delegation exchanges; maritime security; service-to-service cooperation; dialogue and consultation; war legacy remediation; and the search, recovery, and identification of Vietnamese and US service members' remains from the war.

Recalling his fond impressions during his recent visit to Vietnam, Acting US Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao appreciated the positive development of Vietnam-US relations, in which defense cooperation continues to play an important role for the peace and prosperity of both countries, as well as for security, cooperation, and development in the region. He also showed his wish to further expand bilateral cooperation in post-war recovery, maritime security, capacity building, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response.

Emphasizing that war legacy remediation is a priority area valued by both countries, General Thang desired continued US support for Vietnam in expanding the scope of the disability support project in heavily Agent Orange-sprayed provinces; actualizing commitments to the Bien Hoa Air Base dioxin remediation project to complete it before 2031, providing a safe living environment for local residents; and expressed Vietnam's desire to cooperate with the US to achieve the national target of essentially clearing all land contaminated with mines and explosive ordnances by 2045. General Thang requested that both sides continue close cooperation in searching for, recovering, and identifying wartime service members' remains from both the US and Vietnam.

On the same day, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang held discussions with Tim Rieser, assistant to former Senator Patrick Leahy. Thang expressed sincere thanks to Tim Rieser and former Senator Patrick Leahy for dedicating immense efforts to Vietnam.

Through Tim Rieser, General Thang conveyed regards on health from General Phan Van Giang, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense, to former Senator Patrick Leahy, while hoping he will continue supporting and promoting cooperative initiatives to further deepen Vietnam-US relations.

General Thang affirmed that for Vietnam, war legacy remediation is an area receiving attention from the State, Government, Army, and people of Vietnam; effective bilateral cooperation will contribute to healing war wounds, strengthening trust, and opening doors for future cooperation. From matters once belonging to the past, the two countries are jointly creating values for the present and the future. According to the Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defense, the significance of this journey lies in how those who once stood on opposing sides can together soothe war wounds, making memories no longer a barrier, but a foundation for peace and cooperation.

Sharing about the "500-Day-and-Night Campaign to Intensify the Search, Recovery, and Identification of Martyrs' Remains" currently underway in Vietnam, General Thang stated that the campaign steps up sampling, DNA profiling, genetic database building, and demining in key areas to find those who sacrificed, restore identities to unidentified graves, and clear lands still bearing wartime vestiges. In this endeavor, international cooperation holds practical significance. The US side has demonstrated readiness to support Vietnam with information, documentation, memorabilia, and technology, including genetic testing technology, to serve the 500-Day-and-Night Campaign.

Tim Rieser appreciated and expressed joy at the development of Vietnam-US relations in recent years, particularly the fact that the two countries have overcome differences and war pains to cooperate for a better future, recently upgrading ties to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. He shared that he holds a special personal attachment to Vietnam, always doing his utmost to contribute to bilateral relations, especially maintaining and intensifying activities related to war legacy remediation such as demining, dioxin cleanup, and disability support in Vietnam.

Tim Rieser hailed Vietnam's contributions to regional and global peace and stability; and expressed his desire to continue supporting Vietnam in post-war recovery. He opined that the way Vietnam and the US together resolve the legacies of the past provides a model for international relations: dialoguing to bridge differences, cooperating to address legacies, and jointly looking toward the future.

He also hoped that in the coming time, war legacy remediation will continue serving as a foundation to propel Vietnam-US relations to develop further, helping both countries achieve common goals of peace and prosperity.