Vietnam, US military medics to cooperate in Covid-19 prevention

The defense ministers of Vietnam and the U.S. have agreed on medical service cooperation in fighting the pandemic at a Thursday meeting in Hanoi.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Vietnam's Minister of National Defense Phan Van Giang have agreed to prioritize military cooperation in certain fields.

Among them are military medical service cooperation in the fight against Covid-19, overcoming the consequences of war, improving maritime law enforcement capacity, personnel training, as well as understanding the capabilities and needs of each side in international industrial cooperation.

The U.S. Secretary of Defense also announced support for Vietnam via as yet undisclosed equipment for Covid-19 prevention.

The two officials also agreed to continue implementing the Memorandum of Understanding on Promoting Defense Cooperation signed in 2011 and the Joint Vision Statement on Defense Relations signed in 2015.

Austin agreed to focus on promoting the progress of the dioxin decontamination project at Bien Hoa Airbase, a former U.S. facility in Dong Nai Province that borders Ho Chi Minh City, as well as boosting other humanitarian projects in Vietnam.

The two shared views on the importance of respecting the legitimate rights and interests of coastal states, peacefully resolving disputes as well as maintaining a peaceful, stable and secure environment, safety, order and freedom of aviation and navigation in seas and oceans in accordance with international laws and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS 1982).

At the end of the talks, the two witnessed the signing ceremony of a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in searching, gathering and identifying the remains of Vietnamese martyrs.

Austin arrived in Vietnam on Wednesday for a two-day visit at the invitation of Giang as part of his trip to Southeast Asia, marking the first visit to the region by a top member of the Biden administration.

During his stay in Vietnam, Austin also met and held talks with President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

(Source:https://e.vnexpress.net/news/news/vietnam-us-military-medics-to-cooperate-in-covid-19-prevention-4332493.html)