Lloyd J. Austin III Secretary of Defence | Official website
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met with Vietnam's Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., on September 9, 2024. The meeting marked the one-year anniversary of the elevation of the U.S.-Vietnam bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided a readout of the meeting, noting that both leaders reaffirmed the importance of their partnership and discussed efforts to address war legacies. Secretary Austin announced a commitment to budget an additional $65 million over the next five years for dioxin remediation efforts at Bien Hoa Airbase, bringing the total Department of Defense contribution to $215 million.
Secretary Austin reiterated his commitment to accounting for those lost during the war, while General Giang provided artifacts related to U.S. personnel missing in action. In return, Secretary Austin provided information to assist Vietnam in locating its fallen service members.
The discussion also covered opportunities to deepen defense cooperation, including defense trade, industrial base resilience, and information sharing. Both leaders highlighted a new agreement aimed at strengthening military medical cooperation.
Additionally, they signed an Updated Joint Vision Statement on United States - Viet Nam Defense Relations to outline a roadmap for future defense collaboration.
