Hanoi (VNA) – Politburo member and permanentmember of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Tran Quoc Vuong on November20 received US Defence Secretary Mark Esper, who is now on a working visit toVietnam.

The US official spoke highly of the dynamic developments,position, role and active contributions of Vietnam to regional andinternational issues. He hailed the practical and effective developments of theVietnam – US relations over the recent past, and affirmed that the US attachesimportance to and hopes to further strengthen and deepen the relations as wellas cooperation with Vietnam in all the fields, with that on defence being animportant component.

Esper congratulated Vietnam on its election as anon-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2020-2021term and as the Chair of ASEAN in 2020, and pledged to coordinate with andsupport the country to well perform its tasks.

For his part, Vuong expressed his satisfaction at theprogress in the bilateral relations and affirmed Vietnam’s consistent policy oftaking the US as one of the top important partners and hoping to boost them invarious fields, including defence cooperation. The official stressed the needto exchange high-level delegations and to intensify cooperation to deal withthe consequences of the war, including the detoxification at the Bien Hoa airportand assistance to the victims of Agent Orange/dioxin.

Vuong asked the US to continue assisting Vietnam in joiningUN peacekeeping activities.

The two sides also exchanged ideas on a number of regionaland international issues of mutual concern. Esper affirmed that the US supportsthe settlement of disputes in the East Sea by peaceful measures, on the basisof international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982,full respect to diplomatic and legal procedures, and ensuring freedom andsafety of navigation and aviation in the region./.