Visiting U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (L) receives a bouquet of flowers from Vietnamese Minister of National Defense Phan Van Giang upon his arrival in Hanoi, November 2, 2025. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre
The meeting followed a reception hosted by Giang for Hegseth, who arrived earlier the same day for a two-day official visit at the Vietnamese minister’s invitation.
Giang said Hegseth’s visit was especially meaningful as it coincided with the 30th anniversary of Vietnam-U.S. diplomatic relations, helping advance the comprehensive strategic partnership and strengthen bilateral defense ties.
Both sides affirmed that defense cooperation has been effectively based on key documents such as the 2011 memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Advancing Bilateral Defense Cooperation and the 2024 Updated Joint Vision Statement on Defense Cooperation.
The ministers agreed to boost delegation exchanges at all levels, strengthen existing dialogue and consultation mechanisms, and step up war legacy remediation.
They also vowed to foster collaboration between military branches and arms and intensify cooperation in the fields of defense industry, training, military medicine, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, cybersecurity, and UN peacekeeping operations.
They reaffirmed continued coordination within multilateral defense frameworks, particularly the ADMM+ mechanism.
Giang thanked the U.S. Department of War for maintaining English-language and professional training programs, including UN peacekeeping courses, workshops, and conferences in Vietnam and abroad, noting that U.S.-provided equipment and facilities have greatly enhanced Vietnam’s peacekeeping capabilities.
On war legacy cooperation, Giang appreciated the U.S. announcement of an additional US$130 million for the Bien Hoa dioxin cleanup project, raising total non-refundable aid to $430 million.
He also welcomed the recent signing of an MoU on strengthening bilateral cooperation in this field.
Vietnamese Minister of National Defense Phan Van Giang (R) and U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth exchange wartime mementoes after their talks in Hanoi, November 2, 2025. Photo: Nam Tran / Tuoi Tre
Joint efforts to recover the remains of U.S. service members missing in action (MIA) in Vietnam have achieved significant progress, with 160 missions conducted and 994 sets of remains repatriated, including 740 identified.
Vietnam also valued U.S. information sharing and assistance in locating missing Vietnamese soldiers, with Vietnamese authorities having verified 44 of 45 information files received from the U.S. since July 2021.
Giang urged the U.S. to continue supporting Vietnam in bomb and mine clearance and chemical contamination remediation.
He also called on Washington to complete internal procedures to implement agreed non-refundable aid in this field, including the additional $130 million already announced.
He praised the participation of senior U.S. defense officials and advanced military equipment at the Vietnam International Defense Expo 2024, and invited Hegseth, other officials, and U.S. defense firms to attend Vietnam’s next expo in late 2026.
Hegseth said his visit highlights the importance of the bilateral defense relationship, consistent with the comprehensive strategic partnership for peace, cooperation, and sustainable development.
He emphasized that war legacy cooperation remains a top priority, helping build trust between the two countries, their militaries, and peoples.
He also expressed sincere appreciation to the Vietnamese defense ministry for its active assistance in the search for U.S. MIA service members.
Hegseth reaffirmed that the U.S. supports a peaceful and prosperous Vietnam and remains committed to advancing the comprehensive strategic partnership.
The two sides also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual concern and concluded the talks by exchanging wartime mementoes.
