Washington (VNA) - Minister of Public Security, Gen. ToLam held working sessions with US officials in Washington DC on April 24-25 aspart of the activities in the framework of his ongoing visit to the US.

At the talks with the Vietnamese minister, Secretary of the US Department ofthe Interior Davis Bernhardt expressed his belief that the visit willcontribute to deepening the US-Vietnam comprehensive partnership in general andcooperation between the US department  and the Vietnamese ministry in particular.

For his part, Gen. Lam stressed that although peace, cooperation anddevelopment are still major trends of the era, countries in the world are alsofacing many new difficulties and challenges.

He emphasized the need for law enforcement agencies of Vietnam and the US tohave close and effective cooperation, especially in fighting terrorism,transnational organized crime, drug crimes, money laundering, high-tech crime,human trafficking, and illegal trading of wild animals and plants; and inensuring national security and social order in each nations.

He took the occasion to thank the US department for strengthening informationexchange and assisting the Vietnamese ministry in personnel training.

On the occasion, Minister Lam and Secretary Bernhardt signed a memorandum of understandingon cooperation in fighting illegal wildlife trade between the two agencies.

Earlier, the Vietnamese officer held talks with Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs David Hale, during which the two sides compared noteson international and regional issues of common concern.

They highlighted the fruitful and practical development of the Vietnam-USrelations across fields of security-defence, trade, culture-education, tourism,science-technique, and humanity.

Hale spoke highly of the US-Vietnam comprehensive partnership, andthe coopetation between the Vietnamese ministry and the US department inparticular.

Minister Lam stressed that Vietnam always sees the US as one of the most importantpartners and wishes to promote the comprehensive partnership on the basis ofrespect for each other's independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and politicalinstitutions, for the benefit of both nations, contributing to the maintenanceof peace and stability, cooperation and development in the region and theworld.

He thanked the US side for its efforts to complete the detoxification projectat Da Nang Airport, expressing his belief that the work at Bien Hoa Airport willbe actively implemented in the future.

The same day, the Vietnamese minister also met with Davis Pakoske, ActingDeputy Secretary of USDepartment of Homeland Security.

The two sides held that since the US Department of Homeland Security (UDHS) setup a representative office of the US Immigration & Customs Enforcement agency in HoChi Minh City in 1998, the cooperation between the Vietnamese ministry and the USdepartment has recorded strong and effectively development.

Minister Lam suggested the two agencies foster their cooperation, especially theexchange of delegations and sharing information and experience in combating transnationalcrimes, high-tech and economic crimes, human trafficking, and illegal immigration;and consulting with each other on the process and procedures for mutual legalassistance in criminal matters.
 
Before that, Minister Lam received Ann Griffiths, head of the US’s NationalLeague of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia.-VNA