President Luong Cuong receives US Secretary of War

At the reception, the President asked the US side to coordinate to soon arrange a visit to Vietnam by President Donald Trump, considering this a new historical milestone in bilateral relations.

On the afternoon of November 2, at the Presidential Palace, President Luong Cuong received US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the occasion of his official visit to Vietnam.

President Luong Cuong welcomed the Minister's visit, expressing his belief that the visit will contribute significantly to realizing the commitments between the two countries' senior leaders, promoting the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to develop more practically, effectively and sustainably, in the context of the two countries celebrating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

The President affirmed that Vietnam consistently implements a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification, and multilateralization; is a friend and reliable partner, an active and responsible member of the international community; maintains the defense principle of "Four No's," and contributes to peace , stability, and cooperation in the region and the world.

Appreciating the results of the talks between Minister Hegseth and Minister Phan Van Giang, the President welcomed the two sides' agreement to increase dialogue, consultation, and delegation exchanges to promote defense cooperation, especially in the fields of maritime security, humanitarian aid, United Nations peacekeeping, defense industry, technology transfer, and human resource training, in the spirit of trust, equality, mutual respect, in accordance with international law, and actively contributing to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the Asia-Pacific region.

President Luong Cuong receives US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. (Photo: Lam Khanh/VNA)

President Luong Cuong thanked the United States for its close cooperation with Vietnam in handling the consequences of bombs, mines, and Agent Orange/dioxin; and suggested that the two sides continue to coordinate effectively in searching for and identifying Vietnamese martyrs as well as US soldiers missing in action, and increase support for war victims in Vietnam.

The President asked the US side to coordinate in soon arranging President Donald Trump's visit to Vietnam, considering this a new historical milestone in bilateral relations, creating momentum to promote strategic cooperation between the two countries.

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth expressed his pleasure in making an official visit to Vietnam and thanked the leaders of the Party, State and Ministry of National Defense of Vietnam for their warm welcome.

On behalf of the United States Government, Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed condolences for the recent flooding in the North Central provinces of Vietnam.

Minister Pete Hegseth affirmed that the United States attaches importance to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Vietnam, highly appreciates Vietnam's growing role and position in the region and on the international arena, and is committed to promoting stronger development of the Vietnam-US relationship, especially in the field of defense.

Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized that the United States supports a strong, independent, and prosperous Vietnam that continues to play a key role in peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States will continue to closely coordinate with Vietnam in overcoming the consequences of war, supporting mine clearance, dioxin detoxification, searching for and identifying Vietnamese martyrs, and wishes to expand cooperation in the fields of defense industry, maritime security, training, and capacity building in areas of mutual interest.

Discussing regional issues, the two sides expressed support for ASEAN's common stance on the East Sea, especially the principles of ensuring freedom and safety of navigation and aviation, and settling disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea./.

(TTXVN/Vietnam+)

Source: https://www.vietnamplus.vn/chu-tich-nuoc-luong-cuong-tiep-bo-truong-bo-chien-tranh-hoa-ky-post1074486.vnp