The United States wants deeper military ties with Vietnam, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Sunday at the start of a visit to Hanoi amid prolonged talks for the potential supply of military equipment to Washington’s former foe.
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Hegseth was expected to meet Vietnam’s Communist Party chief To Lam, President Luong Cuong and Defence Minister Phan Van Giang, a Vietnamese official briefed on the visit said.
“Deeper [military] cooperation will benefit both of our countries,” Hegseth, who arrived in the Vietnamese capital after meetings in Malaysia with Asian counterparts, said before meeting Giang.
The US had already delivered three cutters to the Vietnamese coastguard and three T-6 trainer aircraft, from an order of 12, and intended to do more, he added.
In a statement, Vietnam’s defence ministry said both governments agreed to continue promoting security cooperation, including areas such as the defence industry.
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Talks on US arms supplies are expected to dominate the agenda, according to the official and another Vietnamese source briefed on the matter.