General Secretary and President received the US Secretary of War

General Secretary To Lam assessed that Minister Pete Hegseth's visit had special significance, reflecting the long journey the two countries have gone through to build the increasingly trustworthy, substantive and sustainable Vietnam - US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership as it is today.

General Secretary To Lam conveyed his regards to President Donald Trump and invited the President and his wife to visit Vietnam soon.

Affirming that Vietnam always considers the US one of its top important partners, the General Secretary wished to continue to strengthen extensive cooperation in all fields, for the benefit of the people of the two countries.

The General Secretary highly appreciated President Donald Trump’s efforts to promote peace and resolve conflicts in the world. Vietnam is ready to play an active and responsible role as a peace bridge to find solutions to regional and international issues.

The General Secretary hopes that the two sides will promote substantive defense cooperation on the basis of respecting Vietnam's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, foreign and defense principles, contributing to enhancing strategic trust and ensuring peace and stability in the region.

The General Secretary also asked the US to continue supporting and strengthening cooperation with Vietnam in overcoming the consequences of war, including dioxin detoxification, mine clearance, supporting people with disabilities, and searching for and identifying the remains of Vietnamese martyrs missing in action.

These cooperation activities, according to the General Secretary, not only have profound humanistic values ​​but are also an important foundation to help heal past wounds, strengthen goodwill and trust, and open up a future of long-term cooperation between the two countries.

Minister Pete Hegseth expressed his honor to visit Vietnam - a country with an increasingly important role in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Minister conveyed President Donald Trump's regards to General Secretary To Lam, and highly appreciated the General Secretary's role and leadership prestige in guiding the development of Vietnam-US relations.

The United States values ​​the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Vietnam and supports a strong, independent, and prosperous Vietnam. The United States wishes to strengthen strategic cooperation at both bilateral and regional levels, especially in combating transnational crime, maritime security, humanitarian relief, officer training, UN peacekeeping, and responding to natural disasters.

He affirmed that the US will continue to support Vietnam in improving its capacity, modernizing its defense industry, and expanding cooperation programs in training high-quality human resources.

The Minister also acknowledged the outstanding results of cooperation in overcoming the consequences of war, including the dioxin remediation projects at Bien Hoa and Da Nang airports, considering these vivid evidence of the reconciliation and cooperation process between the two countries.

The US Department of War will continue to coordinate closely with the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense to complete ongoing projects and expand cooperation to new areas appropriate to the needs and capabilities of each side.

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 two peoples.

Early arrangement of President Donald Trump's visit to Vietnam

President Luong Cuong received US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

President Luong Cuong emphasized that Vietnam consistently pursues an independent, self-reliant, diversified, and multilateral foreign policy, and is a friend and reliable partner, an active and responsible member of the international community. Vietnam maintains the “four no’s” defense principle, contributing to peace, stability, and cooperation in the region and the world.

Appreciating the results of the talks between Minister Hegseth and Minister Phan Van Giang, the President welcomed the two sides' agreement to increase dialogue, consultation, and delegation exchanges to promote defense cooperation.

The President suggested that the two sides continue to coordinate effectively in searching for and identifying Vietnamese martyrs and US soldiers missing in action, and increase support for war victims in Vietnam.

The President asked the US side to coordinate to soon arrange President Donald Trump's visit to Vietnam, considering this a new historical milestone in bilateral relations, creating momentum to promote strategic cooperation between the two countries.

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth expressed his pleasure in his official visit to Vietnam and thanked the leaders of the Party, State and Ministry of National Defense of Vietnam for their warm welcome.

The US attaches importance to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Vietnam, appreciates Vietnam's growing role and position in the region and the international arena, and is committed to promoting stronger development of the Vietnam-US relationship, especially in defense.

The Minister stressed that the US supports a strong, independent and prosperous Vietnam, which continues to play a key role in peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

The US will continue to closely coordinate with Vietnam in overcoming the consequences of war, supporting mine clearance, dioxin detoxification, searching for and identifying Vietnamese martyrs. The Minister hopes that the two countries will expand cooperation in defense industry, maritime security, training, and capacity building in areas of mutual interest.

Discussing regional issues, the two sides expressed support for ASEAN's common stance on the East Sea, especially the principles of ensuring freedom and safety of navigation and aviation, and settling disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.