Washington DC (VNA) – Diplomats and scholars ofVietnam and the US have gathered at a seminar in Washington DC, discussing awide range of cooperation fields, including defence and security, between thetwo countries.

At the seminar held at the Centre for Strategicand International Studies (CSIS), US Assistant Secretary of Defence for Asianand Pacific Security Affairs Randall Schriver highlighted the growing defencerelations between the two nations over the last two years as seen through manymilestones, including the visit to Vietnam by USS Carl Vinson in March 2018 –the first trip to the country by a US aircraft carrier since 1975.

Washington hopes the two sides can reachconsensus on another trip to Vietnam by a US aircraft carrier this year, henoted.

Schriver also mentioned many fields of bilateralcooperation, including dioxin detoxification at Bien Hoa airport in southernVietnam, helping to enhance defence ties.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Ha Kim Ngocnoted in the building of Vietnam-US relations over the last almost 25 years,cooperation in defence and security is one of the highlights in theircomprehensive partnership, helping them build mutual trust. In particular,coordination to resolve the war aftermath is one of the most effective commonefforts that have paved the way for new relations to leave the past behind andmove towards the future, he said.

Ngoc stressed that defence-security cooperationbetween Vietnam and the US is not only limited in bilateral issues but theyalso coordinate with each other in multilateral and regional mechanisms,including the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus, the ASEAN-US DefenceMinisters’ Meeting, and the Shangri-La Dialogue.

In the time ahead, the two sides should worktogether more closely to implement defence cooperation fields under the 2011memorandum of understanding, the 2015 joint vision statement on defencerelations, and the plan of action for defence cooperation for 2018-2020, Ngocsaid.

The diplomat added a stable Vietnam-UScomprehensive partnership is an important contributor to the maintenance ofregional peace, stability, security and cooperation. 

The two countries are preparing to mark the 25thfounding anniversary of diplomatic ties next year, Ngoc said.

With goodwill and trust building efforts, they are opening upnew chapters for substantive cooperation for the next 25 years, he said, notingthat there are numerous opportunities for them to enhance ties in economy,defence, security, as well as regional and global issues.

At the seminar, former US Ambassador to VietnamDavid B. Shear said over the past years, the two countries have cooperatedeffectively in many spheres, including settling war consequences, searching forservicemen missing in action, remedying dioxin contamination, and supportingpeople with disabilities. However, there remain certain challenges andobstacles to bilateral cooperation, he added.

For his part, To Anh Tuan, Deputy Director ofthe Institute for East Sea Studies under the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam,said the countries will mark 25 years since the normalisation of their ties in2020 when Vietnam will hold the ASEAN Chair and is hopeful of being elected anon-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021. This will be animportant chance for them to foster bilateral cooperation, he noted.-VNA