The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that on the afternoon of November 2, at the Party Central Committee Headquarters, General Secretary To Lam received US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on the occasion of his official visit to Vietnam.
General Secretary To Lam welcomed the visit of Minister Pete Hegseth. The visit is of special significance, reflecting the long journey that the two countries have gone through to build the Vietnam - US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to be increasingly trustworthy, substantial and sustainable as it is today.
On this occasion, General Secretary To Lam conveyed his condolences to President Donald Trump and invited the President and his wife to soon visit Vietnam.
General Secretary To Lam affirmed that Vietnam persists in its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification, multilateralization, promoting international law, promoting multilateralism, for peace, friendship, cooperation and development.
Vietnam always considers the US as one of its top important partners, and wishes to continue to strengthen extensive bilateral cooperation in various fields, for the benefit of the people of the two countries.
General Secretary To Lam expressed his appreciation for President Donald Trump's efforts to promote peace and resolve conflicts in the world, and affirmed that Vietnam is ready to participate actively and responsibly as a bridge for peace to find solutions to regional and international issues.
The General Secretary highly appreciated the results of the talks between Minister Pete Hegseth and Vietnamese Defense Minister Phan Van Giang, affirming that defense cooperation between the two countries has become one of the important pillars of bilateral relations.
The General Secretary hopes that the two sides will continue to promote substantive defense cooperation, on the basis of respect for independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, foreign affairs and defense principles of Vietnam, contributing to enhancing strategic trust and ensuring peace and stability in the region.
General Secretary To Lam also suggested that the US continue to support and strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in the field of overcoming the consequences of war, including detoxification of dioxin, clearing bombs and mines, supporting people with disabilities and searching for and assessing the remains of Vietnamese martyrs missing in war.
Minister Pete Hegseth emphasized that the US attaches importance to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Vietnam, supporting a strong, independent and prosperous Vietnam. The US wishes to strengthen cooperation at the strategic level both bilaterally and regionally, especially in the fields of transnational crime prevention, maritime security, humanitarian assistance, officer training, United Nations peacekeeping, and natural disaster response.
He affirmed that the US will continue to support Vietnam in capacity building, modernizing the defense industry and expanding cooperation programs for training high-quality human resources.
The Minister also acknowledged the outstanding results of cooperation in overcoming the consequences of war, affirming that the US Department of War will continue to closely coordinate with the Vietnamese Department of Defense to complete projects under development, and expand cooperation to new areas suitable to the needs and capabilities of each side.
At the end of the meeting, General Secretary To Lam suggested that the two sides continue to promote the spirit of cooperation on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, for the long-term interests of the people of the two countries.
The General Secretary expressed his confidence that with the determination of the leaders of the two countries, the Vietnam - US relationship will enter a "new era of substantive cooperation and sustainable development".
