At the invitation of U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Vietnam’s Defense Minister, General Phan Van Giang, is on an official visit to the United States.

On September 9 (local time), a formal welcome ceremony for General Phan Van Giang was held at the U.S. Department of Defense headquarters in Washington D.C., followed by bilateral talks between the two defense ministers.

During the meeting, Secretary Austin expressed his condolences for the damages caused by Storm Yagi in Vietnam and warmly welcomed General Phan Van Giang on his first official visit to the U.S. as Vietnam's Defense Minister.

Austin praised the positive results of U.S.-Vietnam relations since the establishment of diplomatic ties and emphasized the significance of the recent upgrade to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. He underscored the importance of cooperation in addressing the legacy of war in strengthening bilateral ties.

The U.S. government and Department of Defense remain committed to supporting Vietnam in overcoming the effects of war, including continued collaboration on locating American personnel missing in action (MIA) during the war. Secretary Austin expressed gratitude for Vietnam’s ongoing assistance in this area.

General Phan Van Giang reiterated Vietnam’s desire to develop defense cooperation with the U.S. based on mutual interests and to contribute to peace, stability, and development in the region and the world.

Both sides acknowledged the progress made in defense cooperation, particularly in areas such as personnel exchanges, war legacy recovery, MIA efforts, training, military medicine, United Nations peacekeeping, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief.

Vietnam expressed appreciation for the U.S.'s support in addressing war legacies, notably the increased funding for dioxin remediation at Bien Hoa Airbase and assistance for those affected by Agent Orange.

During the meeting, the U.S. provided Vietnam with documents and artifacts related to missing Vietnamese soldiers. Vietnam has worked closely with the U.S. to enhance joint MIA operations and ensure the return of war relics.

The two defense leaders agreed to expand high-level exchanges and maintain existing dialogue mechanisms to further build trust and understanding. They emphasized the need to continue prioritizing war legacy recovery, including accelerating dioxin cleanup at Bien Hoa Airbase, clearing unexploded ordnance, and providing DNA testing technology to help Vietnam locate and identify its war dead.

In addition to war legacy projects, the two ministers agreed to deepen cooperation in United Nations peacekeeping, training, military medicine, search and rescue, and humanitarian assistance. They also pledged to support each other in multilateral forums and further develop their defense partnership for mutual benefit and regional stability.

As a gesture of goodwill, General Phan Van Giang presented Secretary Austin with personal effects belonging to American soldiers who went missing during the Vietnam War, and Secretary Austin reciprocated by gifting artifacts from Vietnamese soldiers.

General Phan Van Giang also extended an invitation to Secretary Austin and U.S. defense industry leaders to attend the second Vietnam International Defense Expo, set to take place in Hanoi in December.

During his visit, General Phan Van Giang also toured the U.S. National Defense University and engaged in discussions with officials and scholars at this top-tier U.S. defense institution.

Tran Thuong