Vietnam and US forge cooperation in war legacy settlement
VOV.VN - Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defense Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien received Kelly K. McKeague, director of the POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) of the US Department of Defense, in Hanoi on June 7.
Chien thanked the DPAA for its efforts to boost bilateral cooperation, especially in overcoming war consequences in Vietnam, and affirmed that cooperation in search of American soldiers missing in action (MIA) serves as the first bridge and channel of contact between the two countries’ political circles, helping their peoples better understand each other’s goodwill and humanitarian policies.
According to the Deputy Minister of National Defense, the two sides have been undertaking joint cooperation activities according to the agreed annual plan, with about 150 joint and unilateral MIA searches carried out.
The two sides have also recorded initial results in the search and gathering of the remains of Vietnamese personnel missing in action under a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the area signed in July 2021. The US side has to date provided Vietnam with more than 30 sets of documents on Vietnamese soldiers who died or went missing during the war, along with many war memorabilia.
With regard to cooperation in dioxin decontamination and UXO clearance, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the two sides have cooperated effectively and obtained positive results. They have completed a dioxin contamination cleaning project at Da Nang Airport and are now undertaking a similar project at Bien Hoa Airbase.
They have also launched programs to improve the quality of life for Vietnamese people with disabilities in localities heavily impacted by dioxin.
During the reception, Chien suggested that the US work closely alongside Vietnam to promote MIA cooperation, increase resources to support Vietnam in overcoming war consequences, and enhance communications, while effectively implementing the signed MoU on cooperation in searching and gathering the remains of Vietnamese martyrs missing in action.
For his part, Kelly K. McKeague affirmed that both the US and Vietnam have great potential for stronger cooperation and that the US would continue to fulfill its commitments on the settlement of war legacy.