US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (Photo: AFP/Getty)

Vietnamese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang said the visit of Secretary Austin will continue to contribute to strengthening the friendly and trusted relationship between the people and militaries of both nations and help to carry out the agreements reached by senior leaders within the Vietnam-US comprehensive partnership framework.

The US Secretary of Defense is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and President Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Vietnam is part of Austin's Southeast Asia trip that includes stops in the Philippines and Singapore.