General Phan Van Giang presided over the welcoming ceremony for US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

This afternoon, at the headquarters of the Ministry of National Defense , General Phan Van Giang presided over the welcoming ceremony for US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

Mr. Pete Hegseth's visit takes place in the year commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam - US diplomatic relations (July 12, 1995 - July 12, 2025) and the 2nd anniversary of the establishment of the Vietnam - US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace , cooperation and sustainable development (September 2023 - September 2025).

Yesterday, General Phan Van Giang and Minister Pete Hegseth attended the 12th ASEAN Defense Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMM+) held in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia).

On October 31, the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense, the US Department of Defense and the US Department of State signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation in overcoming the consequences of war. The memorandum was developed to realize the commitments of the two countries' senior leaders in the 2023 Joint Statement on upgrading the Vietnam-US relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Minister Pete Hegseth is on an official visit to four Asian countries including Japan, Malaysia, Vietnam and South Korea.