Singapore (VNA) – US Secretary of Defence James Mattis urged Vietnam and the US to enhancecooperation in defence industry and consider signing suitable documents tocreate a foundation for the collaboration.

Hemade the proposals at a meeting with Vietnamese Defence Minister General NgoXuan Lich on the sidelines of the 17th Shangri-La Dialogue inSingapore on June 1.

TheUS is taking into account the transfer of jet trainers and other equipment toVietnam, the US officer said.

Heused the occasion to thank Vietnam for hosting aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinsonin the central city of Da Nang last March.

Theminister noted that the US welcomed Vietnam’s voice in the region and theworld, and backs the country’s assumption of the chairmanship of the Associationof Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2020.

Healso appreciated Vietnam’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations.

Theministers highlighted practical outcomes of the Vietnam-US cooperation over thepast time, saying these have matched the bilateral comprehensive partnership,contributing to peace and stability in the region and the world as well.

Theyagreed to continue existing cooperative realms in line with signed agreements,prioritising the settlement of war consequences, while maintaining dialoguemechanisms and high-level delegation exchanges.  

Lich welcomed the US’s continued coordination to soon kick-start the project ondioxin remediation at Bien Hoa airport as well as the country’s support forVietnam to  deploy the level-2 fieldhospital and a military engineering unit to a UN peacekeeping mission.

The Shangri-La Dialogue 2018 is set to last from June1-3 in Singapore with the participation of defence ministers and officials from50 countries worldwide and representatives from international organisations.

Mattis will deliver a speech on the USleadership in the Indo-Pacific region. Apart from the DPRK issue, Mattis willspeak of the US’s viewpoints on an array of regional matters.

Meanwhile, Lich is expected to address thethird plenary session, focusing on changing security order in Asia.

Vietnam has been invited to attend the dialogue sincethe first editions.

This is the fourth time a Vietnamese Defence Ministerhas participated in the event, reflecting the country’s goodwill and wish topromote friendship and cooperation, and share experience with other countriesin resolving common security challenges, thus building trust as a foundation toenhance cooperation for peace and development.

 This is a goodopportunity for Vietnam to voice its views on regional security issues relatingto national legitimate interests, towards peaceful settlement of disputes inline with international law, especially the 1982 United Nations Convention onthe Law of the Sea. -VNA