(Bqp.vn) - On July 10, at the Headquarters of the Ministry of
National Defense, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, hosted a
farewell reception for Colonel Thomas J. Bouchillon, United States
Defense Attaché to Vietnam, on the occasion of the conclusion of his
tenure in Vietnam.
At the reception.
Speaking at the reception, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien extended his congratulations to Colonel Thomas J. Bouchillon on the successful completion of his tenure and expressed appreciation for the Colonel’s contributions to fostering Vietnam - U.S. defense cooperation and creating favorable conditions to further strengthen bilateral defense ties.
He acknowledged the positive outcomes achieved in the defense cooperation between the two countries, notably in the areas of delegation exchanges, dialogue and consultations, war legacy remediation, personnel training, United Nations peacekeeping operations, and collaboration among military services and branches, including the coast guard, border guard, logistics, and defense industry.
Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien expressed sincere gratitude to the United States for its continued support in addressing war legacy issues in Vietnam, particularly in accelerating efforts related to unexploded ordnance clearance, dioxin contamination remediation, and the search, recovery, and identification of remains of Vietnamese soldiers who sacrificed their lives or went missing during wartime.
Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien presenting a souvenir to Colonel Thomas J. Bouchillon.
Discussing future orientations for bilateral defense cooperation, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien proposed that both sides maintain close coordination and actively promote collaboration in priority areas such as war legacy remediation, defense industry, training, peacekeeping operations, military medical, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response. He also expressed his hope that the United States would continue to fulfill its commitments in supporting Vietnam’s efforts to address the consequences of war.
All delegates in a joint photo.
For his part, Colonel Thomas J. Bouchillon thanked the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense for its support during his tenure in Vietnam; expressing his appreciation for the results achieved by Vietnam and the United States in overcoming the consequences of war. He affirmed that this is a top priority and an important foundation in the cooperative relationship between the two defense ministries.
