Vietnam, US step up cooperation on search and identification of martyrs' remains
VOV.VN - Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Gau, Deputy Minister of National Defence, and US Ambassador to Vietnam Jennifer Wicks discussed measures to promote bilateral cooperation in searching, gathering, and identifying the remains of fallen soldiers during their meeting in Hanoi on October 21.
Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Gau welcomed Ambassador Jennifer Wicks and the delegates on the occasion of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence organizing the international scientific conference on empirical practices and technology advances in the identification of martyrs' remains through DNA testing, and expressed his appreciation for the US side's attention and coordination in this endeavor.
Gau suggested that the US side help connect experienced experts and organizations, notably the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP) and the University of Georgia (USA), to collaborate with Vietnamese experts and scientists on practical issues currently facing Vietnam.
These include testing degraded bone samples with low DNA content, ensuring result reliability, and linking information across all stages from searching and gathering to DNA testing, comparison, and final identification.
In the coming time, both sides should coordinate to identify actionable areas, with a focus on pairing scientific exchange with training, technology transfer, and practical support at Vietnam's specialized facilities.
Emphasizing that settling the consequences of war is a critical political task for Vietnam, reflecting responsibility and deep sentiment toward those who sacrificed their lives for the Fatherland and their families, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Van Gau expressed his hope that US support will be materialized through practical activities tailored to Vietnam's needs and priorities.
This will contribute to enhancing the long-term capacity of Vietnam's specialized agencies, particularly within the context of Vietnam carrying out the "500-day-and-night campaign to intensify the search, collection, and identification of martyrs' remains."
He affirmed that Vietnam will continue to coordinate closely and provide the most favorable conditions for the search for US personnel missing in action (MIA) from the war, while calling on the US to continue sharing information, documents, and memorabilia related to Vietnamese soldiers who fell or went missing during the war.
Highlighting war legacy remediation as a key area of bilateral cooperation that both sides continue to boost, Ambassador Jennifer Wicks affirmed that in her capacity, she will continue to support and connect US agencies and partners with the Ministry of National Defence of Vietnam in this field, as well as strengthen coordination within the framework of the initiative on searching for missing Vietnamese wartime personnel, in line with Vietnam's priorities.
Mekong University, US-based Saint Peter’s University partner on higher education
VOV.VN - Mekong University of Vietnam and Saint Peter’s University of the US signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on October 13 to expand cooperation in higher education, joint scientific research, and academic exchanges.
US adds hundreds of millions of dollars to war legacy remediation in Vietnam
VOV.VN - Vietnam and the US signed Limited Scope Project Agreements (LSPAs) in Hanoi on September 23 to step up joint efforts in addressing post-war toxic chemical and dioxin contamination.
