The Viet Nam and United States Political, Security and Defence Dialogue was a success, Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh told a news conference yesterday.

"We believe the prospects of Viet Nam and U.S co-operation will continue to develop not only as a forum for bilateral co-operation but also multilateral co-operation," he said.

The deputy foreign minister led the Vietnamese delegation and U.S Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Andrew J. Shapiro the US team at the one-day talks in Ha Noi.

The yearly dialogue – held as the two countries celebrate the 15th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations – discussed political and security issues of mutual and regional interest.

Diplomats as well as officials from the security and defence agencies from both countries attended the talks intended to boost their mutual trust and understanding.

They agreed that co-operation between Viet Nam and the U.S helped meet regional and global security challenges and was a natural result of the evolution of their maturing political, economic, cultural and social ties.

Their agenda included regional and global security; nuclear non-proliferation; counter terrorism; counter narcotics; transnational crime; disaster relief; maritime security; search and rescue; ship visits and peacekeeping.

The participants also discussed ways to:

Further co-operate in accounting for each other's missing persons from the American war;

Resolve outstanding issues related to agent orange-dioxin;

Address the legacy of unexploded ordinance;

Meet the challenges of climate change and rising sea rising levels; and

The exchange of high levels visits to further enhance the friendship and co-operation between the two countries.

The dialogue is seen as having helped strengthen and further enhance the friendship and co-operation between Viet Nam and the US based on mutual respect with the common goal of peace, stability and security in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific.

(VNS)