On the evening of February 7, General Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defense, had a phone call with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.

Minister Phan Van Giang congratulated Mr. Pete Hegseth on his appointment as the 29th US Secretary of Defense; affirmed that Vietnam implements a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification, multilateralization, proactive and active international integration, is a friend, reliable partner, and responsible member of the international community; and always considers the US as one of the leading strategic partners.

General Phan Van Giang emphasized that cooperation in overcoming the consequences of war in the past is a bright spot in the defense relationship between the two countries. He expressed his hope that the two countries ' defense ministries will continue to maintain delegation exchanges, high-level contacts, and existing consultation and dialogue mechanisms. In 2025, which marks the 30th anniversary of the normalization of Vietnam -US relations (1995-2025), General Phan Van Giang hopes that the two countries' defense ministries will carry out meaningful cooperation activities, contributing to marking this important event. On this occasion, Minister Phan Van Giang invited Minister Pete Hegseth to pay an official visit to Vietnam in 2025.

Minister Pete Hegseth affirmed that the Trump administration highly values ​​and values ​​the cooperative relationship with Vietnam ; wishes to continue to further promote bilateral cooperation in general and defense cooperation in particular.