(VOVworld) – Visiting US Secretary of Defence Leon Edward Panetta today paid a courtesy visit on Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung in Hanoi. Panetta said that the US government values the relationship with Vietnam as part of the US Asia-Pacific policies.

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said Vietnam considers the US its top partner and hoped that the US as an Asia-Pacific power will make active contributions to maintaining peace, security, stability, cooperation and development in the region. The PM reiterated Vietnam’s wish to work with the US to boost bilateral ties in economics, trade, investment, science, technology, education and training and response to global issues such as terrorism, trans-national crimes, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, maritime security and climate change for the two people’s  benefits   and on the basis of respecting each other’s independence and territorial integration.

Earlier the same day, Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh held talks with his visiting US counterpart, Leon Edward Panetta, in Hanoi.  

The two sides assessed the implementation of the memorandum of understanding on bilateral defence relations signed in 2011. They agreed that the long-term partnership and cooperation in defence and security between Vietnam and the US is important for both countries and the region in general.

The two sides emphasized on regular dialogue mechanisms, and cooperation in maritime security; search and rescue operations; humanitarian and emergency aid; exchange of delegations; English language training; military medicine; provision of information on Vietnamese soldiers missing in action; search for US servicemen missing in action; clearance of unexploded ordnance and decontamination of AO/dioxin.

They said bilateral defence cooperation between Vietnam and the US does not harm the security of neighboring countries.

On the same day, US Secretary of Defence Leon Edward Panetta visited the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command Office in Hanoi.