The United States wants deeper military ties with Vietnam, US Defense 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.
The Southeast Asian nation, which relies heavily on Russian weapons, has been looking to diversify its arsenal for years. Talks with the United States, which lifted an arms embargo in 2016, gained momentum during the Biden administration but have not yet yielded any formal announcement on major items.
"Deeper (military) cooperation will benefit both of our countries," Hegseth, who arrived in the Vietnamese capital after meetings in Malaysia with Asian counterparts, said prior to meeting Defence Minister Phan Van Giang.
The United States 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 in areas such as defence.
It also praised the signing of an agreement on Friday to deepen cooperation on war legacy remediation, including for dioxin decontamination.
Talks on US arms supplies are expected to dominate the agenda, according to two Vietnamese sources briefed on the matter.
(Reporting by Francesco Guarascio and Phuong Nguyen in Hanoi; Additional reporting by Idrees Ali in Washington; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and David Holmes)
