Vietnam, US hold defense policy dialogue

The first Vietnam-U.S. defense policy dialogue at the deputy ministerial level was held in Hanoi on Tuesday.

The dialogue drew Vietnamese Deputy Defense Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh and U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Robert Scher.

At a press conference following the dialogue, Nguyen Chi Vinh said the two sides discussed a number of issues on defense policy and bilateral cooperation at the meeting.

The two countries vowed to boost defense cooperation on the basis of mutual benefit and respecting each other's independence and sovereignty, Vinh said.

Vinh said the two countries' defense cooperation would contribute to regional and world peace and stability and would not be harmful to other countries.

At the press conference, Robert Scher said the dialogue was open and it was successful. The dialogue will create opportunities for the two countries to expand bilateral defense cooperation in the future, said Scher.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the normalization of Vietnam-U.S. diplomatic ties.

Source: Xinhua