By MARCUS WEISGERBER
HANOI, Vietnam — Vietnam called on the U.S. to lift a ban on lethal weapons sales to the country so it could modernize and overhaul its dated military.
Appearing a press conference with U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, Vietnamese Defense Minister Gen. Phuong Quang Thanh said the removal of the ban would benefit both Washington and Hanoi.
“This would also help to fully mobilize the relationship between the two countries,” Quang Thanh said June 4 at K2000, Vietnam’s military headquarters. “Once the lethal weapons restrictions are lifted, Vietnam has the demand to buy some [items] from the United States, firstly to repair, to overhaul, the weapons that are left from the war.
“After that depends on the financial capacity and demands of our military,” he said. “We will choose to buy … certain kinds of weapons for the process of modernization of our military.”
The Pentagon sees Vietnam as a key partner in the Asia-Pacific region. Panetta is in the middle of a two-day visit to the country, which included a stop a Cam Ranh Bay, a major U.S. hub during the Vietnam War.
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