The remarks were made during a meeting with Hung Cao, Acting Secretary of the United States Navy, in Hanoi on June 22, on the sidelines of the US Navy-led Pacific Partnership 2026 (PP26) and the US Army-led Pacific Friendship 2026 (PF26) -  a joint humanitarian assistance and disaster response mission.

The top Vietnamese leader welcomed the positive progress in Vietnam-US defence cooperation and called for the continued effective implementation of existing cooperation mechanisms and bilateral initiatives. He urged both countries to translate their commitments into concrete cooperation in areas that align with the needs and interests of each side.

For his part, Hung Cao reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to strengthening ties with Vietnam, describing the country as a strong, independent, resilient and prosperous partner.

He expressed support for expanding cooperation in maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster response, emphasising the role of defence cooperation in promoting regional peace and stability.

Both sides highlighted the importance of maritime security cooperation, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief capacity building as the region faces increasingly complex non-traditional security challenges.

War legacy cooperation - a foundation of bilateral relations

War legacy cooperation was identified as a central pillar of Vietnam-US relations.

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam called on the United States to maintain and expand programmes related to dioxin remediation, unexploded ordnance clearance and assistance for people with disabilities. He also urged greater cooperation in sharing information, records and wartime memorabilia to support efforts to locate and identify Vietnamese servicemen missing in action.

According to the Vietnamese leader, these humanitarian initiatives carry profound significance and help strengthen trust and reconciliation between the two nations.

The US politician agreed, noting that cooperation in addressing the consequences of war has become one of the clearest examples of the two countries’ shared commitment to breaking with the past and looking toward the future.

He also thanked Vietnam for its continued support in accounting for missing US military personnel (MIA) and voiced Washington’s long-term commitment to humanitarian cooperation programmes in Vietnam.

Toward a more substantive partnership

On the occasion, Party General Secretary and State President To Lam conveyed his greetings to US President Donald Trump and the First Lady, while reiterating an invitation for the US leader to visit Vietnam in the future.

The US side reaffirmed its intention to further strengthen bilateral, regional and global cooperation, describing Vietnam as an increasingly important partner in the Indo-Pacific region.

Both sides expressed confidence that Vietnam-US relations would continue to develop in a stable, substantive and effective manner, contributing to peace, cooperation and development in the region.

Vietnam and the United States upgraded their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in September 2023, opening a new chapter in bilateral ties. In addition to expanding economic, technological and educational cooperation, defence collaboration and efforts to address war legacy issues, including dioxin remediation, unexploded ordnance clearance and cooperation on missing-in-action cases, have been key pillars of the relationship and important trust-building measures between the two countries.

Vietnam urges United States to accelerate war legacy cooperation

VOV.VN - Vietnam has called on the United States to further advance cooperation on addressing war legacy, including providing an additional US$130 million for the Bien Hoa dioxin remediation project and expanding support for the identification of Vietnamese personnel missing in action.