U.S. navy ships to visit Da Nang

Illustration photo

The group included the aircraft carrier USS CARL VINSON, the guided missile cruiser USS LAKE CHAMPLAIN and the destroyer USS WAYNE E. MEYER. They will visit the seaport city of Da Nang from March 5-9. 

Earlier, at the invitation of Vietnamese Minister of National Defense Ngo Xuan Lich, U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis paid an official visit to Viet Nam from January 24-25, 2018. 

At talks, the two leaders shared issues of common concern; highlighted the significance of peaceful and stable environment for development. 

They assessed that the national defense cooperation achieved practical benefits in line with the comprehensive partnership in accordance with aspiration and benefits of their peoples. 

The two leaders agreed on measures to promote ties in the future, based on the  memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation signed in 2011, the  Joint Vision Statement on defense ties signed in 2015, an action plan for 2018-2020 and agreements reached by their senior leaders. 

Both agreed that bilateral defense co-operation has been producing practical outcomes, particularly in searching for missing U.S. servicemen, AO/dioxin decontamination, bomb and mine clearance, rescue and humanitarian aid and UN peacekeeping operations. 

The Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense applauded the US’s co-operation in a project on dioxin remediation at Bien Hoa Airport and its support for Viet Nam’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations. 

The defense ministries of the two countries also asked their senior leaders for permission to allow an US aircraft carrier to visit the central city of Da Nang in March this year./. 

By Kim Loan