U.S. Defense Secretary to visit Vietnam The U.S. Department of Defense website reported that Pentagon leader – Mr. Chuck Hagel - had accepted the invitation of the Minister of Defense Phung Quang Thanh to visit Vietnam next year.   Defense Minister Phung Quang Thanh and his U.S. counterpart Chuck Hagel. Photo: AP The press release from the U.S. Department of Defense emphasized: "The secretary was honored to receive and accept an invitation from Gen. Thanh to visit Vietnam next year.” In bilateral discussions on the sidelines of the ADMM+ in Brunei on August 28, the two military leaders both noted "the importance of peaceful dispute resolutions in the East Sea and welcomed steps to develop a ASEAN Code of Conduct." According to the press release, Secretary Hagel expressed his commitment to growing the bilateral defense relationship and working on issues such as maritime security, humanitarian disaster relief, and recovering the remains of U.S. personnel missing in action. Hagel also conveyed his commitment to continuing to implement the 2011 Memorandum of Understanding for Advancing Bilateral Defense Cooperation. According to the Vietnam News Agency, in the discussion, Minister Phung Quang Thanh said Vietnam attaches great importance to comprehensive cooperation with the United States, including defense cooperation. The Minister referred to the recent U.S. visit of President Truong Tan Sang which has opened up a new framework for cooperation between Vietnam - United States when the two countries established the comprehensive partnership. He expected that the two countries further develop this relationship for the benefit of the two peoples. Minister Thanh affirmed that Vietnam would continue to promote the implementation of the Memorandum on defense cooperation signed between the two countries, focusing on solving war consequences. He stressed that Vietnam will continue to create conditions for solving the MIA issue and also asked the United States to continue to participate in solving the consequences of the war in Vietnam, including the provision information about the missing Vietnam soldiers in the war. In addition to his bilateral meeting with Chuck Hagel, in Brunei, Minister Phung Quang Thanh had discussions with the Defense Ministers of Japan, South Korea and Malaysia . Thai An, VietNamNet Bridge