WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin has reaffirmed the United States' commitment to continue strengthening ties with Vietnam as he met with Vietnamese Minister of Defense Gen. Phan Van Giang at the Pentagon.
Austin said the U.S. remains focused on overcoming the legacies of war as the two countries continue to build on the recent elevation of U.S.-Vietnam relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership.
The secretary also expressed his condolences for the lives lost after Typhoon Yagi made landfall on Vietnam's northern coast over the weekend.
The meeting comes nearly one year after President Joe Biden's visit to Vietnam where the two countries took steps to elevate relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership encompassing cooperation across a range of diplomatic, economic and defense industrial endeavors, among others.
The step marked what the White House hailed as a 'new phase of bilateral cooperation and friendship' between the two countries.
The past year marked increased military cooperation between the U.S. and Vietnam, including a port visit by the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge and U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche at Cam Ranh, Vietnam in July. Vietnam also hosted a multilateral Pacific Partnership mission and a Pacific Angel humanitarian response mission in August.
Austin also addressed the United States' commitment to account for those lost during the Vietnam War and to assist Vietnam in its search for its fallen service members.
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