Deputy Minister of Defence Lt. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh and US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence Robert Scher announced the results of the first Vietnam-US defence policy dialogue at the deputy ministerial level at a press briefing in Hanoi on August 17.

Deputy Minister Vinh said both sides are pleased at the results of the dialogue. They discussed a number of issues on defence policy and bilateral cooperation as well as measures to boost the two countries’ defence cooperation on the basis of mutual benefit and respecting each other’s independence and sovereignty, Vinh said.

The dialogue between the Vietnamese Defence Ministry and the US Department of Defence took place when both countries are celebrating the 15 th anniversary of the normalisation of Vietnam-US diplomatic ties, he said.

Vinh said that both sides have found a common voice in a number of regional and international issues and mentioned future cooperation in overcoming war consequences, seeking American Missing in Actions (MIA) in Vietnam and exchanging delegations of Vietnamese military students to study English in the US and vice versa.

The two sides touched upon cooperation in rescue and coping with sea and land disasters, he added.

He confirmed that the two countries’ defence cooperation would contribute to regional and world peace and stability and would not be harmful to other countries.

In response to reporters’ questions, Deputy Minister Vinh said the dialogue did not spend much time on the East Sea issue but focused on bilateral future defence cooperation.

However, both sides agreed that the East Sea issue as well as other security issues need to be resolved in accordance with international law in the spirit of constructive, friendly and peaceful means without imposing subjective will.

Talking with the press, Robert Scher said that at the dialogue, the two sides finalised exchange mechanisms and policy and international and regional issue cooperation.

The dialogue took place in a spirit of openness and concluded successfully, he said, adding that the discussed contents will create many opportunities for both sides to expand bilateral defence cooperation in the future.

This will be an important foundation for progress in the Vietnam-US defence relations in the future, he said./.