Two U.S. officials have helped strengthen the military ties between Vietnam and the U.S. during their visits to the country this week.
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| Adm. Robert F. Willard speaking at the press conference |
The U.S. is seeking ways to maintain peace and stability in the Pacific region, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, Adm. Robert F. Willard remarked during a press conference held in Hanoi on Monday.
This is the second time Willard paid his visit to Vietnam, but first time in the role as the Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command. His goal during this visit is to further advance the military relationship between the U.S. and Vietnam in maintaining security in the East Sea.
In stating the reasons why matters that concern the South China Sea have sparked such great interest to the U.S., Willard said, "The U.S. trade in this region is about USD 1.3 trillion per year. Most transportation has to go through the sea line and airline communication here. Therefore, it is not only of vital interest to the U.S. but also China, South Korea and Japan, as well as South East Asian countries that border the sea like Vietnam and Philippines."
It is a shared area that has been open for international use for a long time and the U.S. strongly objects to any nation who wants to take sole control over the area using methods against international conventions, Willard added.
The Commander confirmed the U.S.'s full intentions to remain to work in the region and continue its efforts in making sure that incidents like the recent sinking of a South Korean ship would not happen again.
Willard expressed his hope that a close and strengthened military relationship between the U.S. and Vietnam will make significant contributions to the current and future safety of the Pacific region.
US pledges to help Vietnam solve mine and AO issues
According to Assistant Secretary of State for Political and Military Affairs Andrew J. Shapiro, the U.S. government will carry on the quest for solutions and funding to aid Vietnam in the resolution of issues related to agent orange/dioxin and land mines. Mr Shapiro spoke at the 3rd Vietnam – U.S. Political Security and Defense Dialogue in Hanoi on Tuesday.
Before attending the dialogue, Mr Shapiro had met with officials from several unexploded ordnance - clearing organizations. He had also visited the Engineers Museum, where he was moved by images and stories of the grave human costs of unexploded mines which remain scattered across the land of Vietnam. He promised to carry these experiences back to the U.S. to raise people’s awareness about the issue and to try to find financial resources to resolve it more quickly. To date, the U.S. Government has spent about 3 million USD to assist Vietnam in this issue.
During the talks, U.S. participants learned about the full extent of the damage caused by agent orange and dioxin, and received a more comprehensive view of the complications involved. Mr Shapiro confirmed that U.S. authorities care a great deal about these lingering effects and will persist in their efforts to help Vietnam. The two countries have approved a plan for 2010 to resolve the issue together.
The two sides further discussed other concerns including regional and global security, nonproliferation, counterterrorism, counternarcotics, transnational crimes, disaster relief, and maritime security. Participants also considered ways to broaden collaboration in accounting for missing persons from the war, to meet the challenges of climate change and rising sea levels and to enhance the overall spirit of friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and the U.S.
