Following the recent establishment of the Comprehensive Partnership between U.S. President Barack Obama and Vietnam President Truong Tan Sang, the U.S. Department of State hosted the Sixth Annual U.S.-Vietnam Political, Security, and Defense Dialogue on October 1, 2013 in Washington, DC to discuss a broad range of bilateral and regional security issues.
With Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Tom Kelly welcoming Vice Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc, both sides registered satisfaction in one another’s cooperation in recent years to uplift the bilateral relationship in such areas as promotion of U.S.-ASEAN cooperation, the ASEAN Regional Forum and East Asia Summit. Both parties also voiced contentment in the progress of ongoing talks for a Civil Nuclear Agreement between United States and Vietnam.
Counterterrorism, counter-narcotics, human trafficking, cyber and law enforcement issues were also touched on during the meeting. Discussed under the framework of the 2011 Memorandum of Understanding on Advancing Bilateral Defense Cooperation, both sides pledged further defense and security cooperation. Likewise, both nations pledged mutual respect and friendship in strengthening the bilateral relationship and shared commitments towards a prosperous and secure Asia-Pacific region. Political, economic, cultural and people-to-people ties were considered the backbone of the relationship while discussing international and regional security challenges.
The Seventh Annual U.S.-Vietnam Political, Security, and Defense Dialogue is scheduled for Hanoi in 2014.