Vietnam, US discuss defence cooperation Deputy Defence Minister Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh met with US Senator Patrick Leahy and senior officials from the US Departments of State and Defence on March 23 and 24 to discuss practical measures on boosting bilateral defence cooperation.   The Deputy Defence Minister held working sessions with Deputy Secretary of State Tony Blinken, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs David Shear and Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs Puneet Talwar. He also met Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Stability and Humanitarian Affairs Anne Witkowsky, the Commandant of the US Coast Guard Admiral Paul Zunkunft and Deputy Director of the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) Jennifer Zakriski. In those meetings, the two sides shared viewpoints on issues of common concern; assessed bilateral cooperation results achieved and agreed that defence cooperation in the past years has met the two sides’ expectations. Relating to cooperation orientation in upcoming times, the two sides discussed and agreed on measures to achieve desired outcomes in cooperation fields such as mines and explosive clearance, dioxin detoxification at seriously contaminated sites, the search of missing soldiers and helping war victims. The two sides agreed to boost cooperation in the United Nations’ peacekeeping activities and said Vietnam’s participation is evidence of the responsibility of a member nation of the UN. The US officials all hoped to continue strengthening defence cooperation with Vietnam in line with the general relationship on the principle of mutually respect for Vietnam’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity without affecting Vietnam’s relations with other countries, contributing to peace, stability and development in the region and the world as a whole. Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh expressed their delight at the results achieved in bilateral defence cooperation and said the two sides took proper steps. He also recommended that in 2015, which marks the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, defence cooperation needs to make practical and effective contributions to the general relationship, meeting expectations and interest of the two countries’ people. Vietnam-US security cooperation sees progress: EPI Cooperation between Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security and the US’s law enforcement agencies has seen encouraging developments, affirmed an article about Public Security Minister Tran Dai Quang’s recent working visit to the US posted on the Euro Presse Image’s website on March 24. The article highlighted both sides’ agreement to maintain existing cooperation mechanisms and look forward to developing a bilateral legal framework dealing with safeguarding security and social order through the creation of such agreements as the one on extradition and transfer of sentenced persons, a mutual legal assistance agreement, and the other on the combat against money laundering. Vietnam and the US agreed to intensify the sharing of information and experience in preventing crimes and investigating specific cases, coordinate to ensure safety for each country’s citizens and enterprises in the other, and collaborate in staff training. The article commented that the cooperation in security between Vietnam and the US is being reinforced and that the US is considering Vietnam as a key partner in the implementation of its rebalancing strategy towards the Asia-Pacific. Mentioning the dispute in the East Sea between China and ASEAN countries, the article stressed that the US congressmen have always reaffirmed their support for solving disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC), as well as working towards the formation of a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (CoC). VNA