Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met today with Vietnam's Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C.
During their meeting, Secretary Austin and General Giang reaffirmed the importance of the U.S.-Vietnam partnership, noting that this week is the one-year anniversary of the elevation of the U.S.-Vietnam bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Secretary Austin and General Giang underscored the importance of working together to overcome war legacies. Secretary Austin announced a commitment to budget an additional $65 million over the next five years toward completing dioxin remediation efforts at Bien Hoa Airbase. This would bring the total Department of Defense contribution to the Bien Hoa remediation effort to $215 million.
Secretary Austin reiterated his commitment to the fullest possible accounting of those lost during the war. General Giang provided artifacts on U.S. personnel missing in action. Secretary Austin provided information to help Vietnam search for its fallen service members.
They discussed opportunities to deepen defense cooperation, including on defense trade, industrial base resilience, and information sharing. Both leaders highlighted a new agreement to strengthen military medical cooperation.
The officials signed an Updated Joint Vision Statement on United States - Viet Nam Defense Relations to lay out a roadmap for the future of the defense partnership.
