Vietnam and US discuss enhancing cooperation in addressing war remnants and their effects

Kuala Lumpur, Oct 29 (KUNA) – Vietnam’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, General Pham Van Giang, said on Thursday that he discussed with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in addressing the remnants and consequences of war, including mine clearance, unexploded ordnance disposal, and chemical contamination remediation. The Vietnamese newspaper Nguoi Dan (The People) reported that the talks took place during a meeting between Giang and Hegseth in Cebu, Philippines, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting. The newspaper quoted the Vietnamese minister as praising the development of defense relations between the two countries in areas such as dialogue, consultations, defense industry, and military medical services, particularly cooperation in addressing the lingering effects of the war. Giang explained that he exchanged information and mementos related to the war with the U.S. minister, a move carrying humanitarian significance and supporting the Vietnamese government’s efforts under the “500 Days and Nights” campaign, aimed at intensifying search and recovery operations for the remains of soldiers who died during the war, as well as identifying them. These files date back to the Vietnam War, fought between communist North Vietnam and U.S.-backed South Vietnam in the 1960s, within the context of the East-West Cold War rivalry, before the withdrawal of U.S. forces in 1973 and the end of the war with the fall of the southern capital, Saigon, on April 30, 1975, and the victory of northern forces that paved the way for national reunification. (End) E.A.B./A.M.S.