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This was announced by US Secretary of Defence Ashton Carter at a June 1 meeting with Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh in Hanoi.
The US is committed to supporting a Vietnam of independence, strength, prosperity and respect for human rights and the rule of law, Ashton Carter said, adding that his country will continue working with Vietnam on dealing with problems left by the war.
In regard to the East Sea dispute, principally the illegal construction of islands, Defence Minister Thanh reiterated Vietnam’s unswerving policy of settling sovereignty disputes through peaceful measures in line with international law, the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Declaration on Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and taking no actions to expand or complicate disputes.
ASEAN member countries will exert joint efforts with China towards the early conclusion of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC), Thanh said.
During his visit, the US Secretary of Defence will have meetings with Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Truong Tan Sang, and tour some Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) units.
