The US is keen to boost ties with Vietnam and other ASEAN member countries to consolidate confidence building and promote key cooperation areas. The fourth Vietnam-US defence dialogue ended in Washington on October 30, achieving positive results. Both sides compared notes on bilateral military and defence cooperation, regional security and other issues of mutual concern including maritime freedom, safety and security and threats to regional peace and stability. Vietnam and the US underlined the need to solve all issues related to maritime safety and security, and sea disputes in East Asia and Southeast Asia through peaceful means and diplomatic negotiations on the basis of respect for international law, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and other agreements between ASEAN and China such as the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in the East Sea and the Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC). They highlighted the defence cooperation process within the ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting Plus (ADMM+) framework as a newly emerging security structure that needs further improvements. US representatives praised Vietnam for officially becoming involved in the UN peace keeping force while affirming the US willingness to help Vietnam effectively participate in the activity. The US side thanked the Vietnamese Government, people and army for their positive support in dealing with humanitarian issues such as the search for remains of US servicemen who died during the war in Vietnam, considering it a symbol of humanitarian cooperation. The US pledged its continued support for Vietnam in dioxin decontamination, bomb and mine, unexploded ordnance (UXO) deactivation, search & rescue cooperation and natural disaster mitigation. The US is willing to promote coast guard cooperation and provide military training and international education programmes. The US Department of Defence and ASEAN Defence Ministers are expected to meet in early April next year in Hawaii to discuss regional security and orientations for defence cooperation between the two sides. The US yearned for Vietnamese Defence Ministry’s presence at the important meeting, noting that US Defence Secretary is due to visit Vietnam next year. Under the dialogue programme, the Vietnamese defence delegation toured a number of naval bases and the US Coast Guard (USCG). VOV