Minister of Defense Ngo Xuan Lich received US Secretary of Defense James Mattis

The meeting took place at Tan Son Nhat Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. This was the fifth meeting between the Vietnamese and US defense ministers in about 12 months.

Defense Ministers of Vietnam and the US during a meeting in January 2018. Photo: VGP

Defense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich received US Defense Secretary James Mattis on the morning of October 17 in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Doc Lap

This is one of the rare times the US Secretary of Defense has visited Ho Chi Minh City and also the second time since the beginning of 2018 that Mr. James Mattis has visited Vietnam. Vietnam is the first stop on Mr. Mattis's tour of Asia. After Vietnam, Mr. Mattis will attend the annual ASEAN+ Defense Ministers Meeting taking place in Singapore from October 18.

Minister of National Defense, General Ngo Xuan Lich welcomes US Secretary of Defense James Mattis Photo: Thuy Mien

Earlier, on the morning of October 17, Secretary James Mattis visited Bien Hoa Airport (Bien Hoa City, Dong Nai ) to visit the dioxin treatment project at the airport. Deputy Commander of the Air Defense - Air Force, Major General Bui Anh Chung and the US delegation led by Secretary Mattis discussed the dioxin treatment project at Bien Hoa Airport.

The Bien Hoa Airport area is the largest remaining dioxin hotspot in Vietnam. Successful remediation of dioxin contamination in this area will contribute to reducing the risk of dioxin exposure and the risk of adverse effects on human health.

Before arriving in Vietnam, Secretary James Mattis said the US Agency for International Development (USAID) is preparing to launch a major project to treat dioxin at Bien Hoa airport. This process is expected to take several years.

“I want to witness with my own eyes (the dioxin treatment project at Bien Hoa airport - PV) and when I return to the US, I will report to the US Congress my impressions of this place,” according to Mr. Mattis.

In May, in Hanoi, USAID and the Air Defense - Air Force Service, Ministry of National Defense of Vietnam held a signing ceremony for a limited non-refundable aid agreement for the dioxin treatment project at Bien Hoa airport area, according to VNA.

US Secretary of Defense James Mattis and delegation at Bien Hoa Airport Thuy Mien

At that time, Mr. Michael Greene, Director of USAID in Vietnam, representing the US side, and Lieutenant General Le Huy Vinh, Member of the Party Central Committee, Commander of the Air Defense - Air Force, representing the Vietnamese side, signed an agreement to begin the planning process to prepare for the treatment of dioxin contamination in Bien Hoa.

Bien Hoa airport area is identified as one of the "hot spots" of chemical contamination remaining from the war in Vietnam .

The estimated cost of dioxin remediation at Bien Hoa is $390 million. The remediation process is expected to be completed in 10 years. The United States is committed to working with Vietnam and the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense to address war legacies, while continuing to promote economic, cultural, and security ties between the two countries.

Since 2000, the United States has worked with Vietnam to address humanitarian and war legacy issues. These include the removal of unexploded ordnance, the identification of missing persons, and the remediation of dioxin.

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