HANOI, Vietnam -- On the occasion of the ninth annual United States-Vietnam Defense Policy Dialogue, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs for the United States, Randall G. Schriver, met with the Deputy Defense Minister, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, on October 4. This marks Schriver’s third visit to Vietnam in 2018, which represents the significant strengthening of the U.S.-Vietnam bilateral defense relationship. While in Hanoi, Schriver met with Defense Minister, General Ngo Xuan Lich and Vice Chairman Nguyen Manh Cuong of the Communist Party’s External Relations Commission, and visited Vietnam’s Department of Peacekeeping Operations.

“Vietnam is our comprehensive partner in the region who is committed to peace, stability, and prosperity, all core tenets of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy,” said Schriver. “What makes our partnership important is the shared commitment to the international rule of law, maritime security, and stability in the Indo-Pacific.”

The Assistant Secretary of Defense then traveled to Ho Chi Minh City on October 5 to witness firsthand the socio-economic dynamics in southern Vietnam and how they play a significant role in the total development of Vietnam. “I visited Military Hospital 175, which recently deployed to South Sudan with the UN,” Schriver said. Military Hospital 175—a modern healthcare complex servicing southern Vietnam—deployed doctors and medical staff to South Sudan earlier this month to undertake its first-ever UN peacekeeping mission. Schriver continued, “I applaud the Ministry of National Defense’s leadership in its UN peacekeeping efforts and life-saving operations they are conducting in South Sudan. This unprecedented achievement speaks volume of Military Hospital 175’s training and readiness.”

Randall Scriver’s visit to Vietnam continues to show the strengthening of the U.S.-Vietnam defense ties through the building of mutual trust, confidence, and a demonstration to a shared commitment to regional security, peace, and stability.