Vietnam, Australia step up defence cooperation

Hanoi (VNA) – Vietnam expects further support from Australia in the search for Vietnamese soldiers who died or went missing during the war, Deputy Minister of Defence, Senior Lieutenant General Le Chiem said on September 11.

In a meeting with General Angus Campbell in Canberra, Chief of the Australian Defence Force, Chiem, who is deputy head of the National Steering Board for the Search, Repartriation and Identification of War Martyrs’ Remains, thanked the Australian Department of Defence for providing Vietnam with a digital database of Missing in Action data. He also described this is as a vivid illustration for the Australian Government’s goodwill.

The Vietnamese Government is working out a wide range of measures to accelerate the search and repatriation of Vietnamese soldiers’ remains, he said, asking the Australian side to direct competent agencies to check documents and objects relating to the fallen soldiers.

The national steering board will be responsible for receiving information and documents from Australia, the official added.

Campbell, for his part, welcomed recommendations from Chiem, and expected to further cooperation with Vietnam to recover post-war consequences in the nation.

Earlier, Chiem and a working delegation from the national steering board paid a courtesy visit to the Australian Minister for Veterans./.