Washington DC (VNA) – Deputy Defence Minister Sen. Lieut.Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh and Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for South andSoutheast Asia of the US Dr. Joseph Felter co-chaired the Vietnam-US defencepolicy dialogue 2017 in Washington D.C on October 17.

The two sides learned updated security challenges in the Asian-Pacificregion, and discussed solutions to fostering bilateral cooperation within the Vietnam-UScomprehensive partnership.

They shared viewpoints on world and regional issues of mutual concern.Both sides evaluated their cooperation outcomes in 2017 and sketched out orientationsfor the affiliation in 2018 and the following years in compliance with thememorandum of understanding on strengthening defence cooperation signed in 2011and the declaration on joint vision on defence affiliation released in 2015.

They also sought to realize agreements between the two defenceministries reached during Defence Minister General Ngo Xuan Lich’s visit to theUS in August 2017.

Addressing the dialogue, Vinh said that Vietnam has launched itsPeacekeeping Centre in Hanoi and highlighted potential for cooperation inmilitary medicine, especially when Vietnam is preparing to launch level-twofield hospital as part of its UN peacekeeping mission.

He lauded bilateral cooperation in seeking information and remains ofVietnamese and US soldiers died during the war, saying it is a spotlight in thetwo countries’ defence affiliation and affirming Vietnam has full capacity in searchingfor missing-in-action (MIA) servicemen of the US.

Vinh proposed that the US Defence Department continue supporting theimplementation of bilateral agreements in clearing wartime unexploded explosives,while continuing encouraging international organisations to engage in the work.

He said that the dioxin detoxification in Da Nang airport has finishedbeyond expectations, adding that the Vietnamese side will announce thecompletion of the project in early November in Da Nang during the APEC EconomicLeaders’ Week with the participation of US President Donald Trump, and otherforeign leaders.

An international conference will also be held to share Vietnam’sexperience in the work, he said, calling for the US’ continued support to asimilar project in Bien Hoa airport in Dong Nai province.

For his part, Dr. Felter said that the US agrees with Vietnam’sproposals on cooperation in coast guard, military medicine, peacekeeping, anddioxin detoxification.

The US side suggested that Vietnam continue joining bilateral andmultilateral forums to prepare for the role of the ASEAN Chair in 2020.

Present in the dialogue, Fern Sumpter Winbush, Principal Director forthe Defence POW/MIA Accounting Agency highly valued Vietnam’s collaboration andsupport in MIA search efforts. She thanked the Vietnamese side for handing overdocuments relating to MIA, and creating optimal conditions for on-the-siteoperation of joint search teams.

Following the dialogue, general Vinh and Dr. Felter witnessed thesigning of a memorandum of understanding between the Vietnam's Institute for Defence Strategy  and the US-based Asia-Pacific Centre for Security Studies.

On the occasion, Vinh also handed over to the US side two sets of documentssupporting the MIA search. Meanwhile Dr. Felter gave Vinh personal belongings ofa Vietnamese soldier died during the war with hope that he will bring it to themartyrs’ family.-VNA