VietNamNet Bridge - US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on June 3 visited USNS Richard E.Byrd, a dry cargo/ammunition ship, which has anchored at Cam Ranh Bay in the central province of Khanh Hoa for maintenance.


He met with around 40 Vietnamese and foreign correspondents on the ship at noon of the same day.

Mr. Panetta told correspondents that his current Vietnam visit aims to expand national defense cooperation under an agreement signed last year between the US Department of Defense and the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense.   

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 defense 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.

He is the first US Secretary of Defense who pays a visit to Cam Ranh port since the Vietnam War.

He is scheduled to hold talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Phung Quang Thanh, and pay a courtesy visit to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in Hanoi on June 4.

Some photos of Mr. Panetta’s visit to Cam Ranh port on June 3:



Truc Nam Son/Linh Thu