Vietnam hands over wartime servicemen’s remains to US
VOV.VN - The 165th repatriation of the remains of US soldiers missing in action during the war in Vietnam (MIA) took place at Da Nang International Airport on June 26.
This is the initial results of the 155th joint search between Vietnamese and American agencies in some central provinces of Vietnam.
The ceremony was attended by Vietnamese Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ha Kim Ngoc, and representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, National Defense, and Public Security, as well as of the Da Nang administration, and the Board of Directors of the Vietnam office for Seeking Missing Personnel (VNOSMP).
US Consul General in Ho Chi Minh City Susan Burns, leaders and staff of the US MIA Office in Hanoi were also present at the event.
During a meeting with Burns on the same day, Ngoc emphasized that Vietnam cooperates with the United States in the search for soldiers still missing in Vietnam in the spirit of humanity and the policy of breaking with the past and looking towards the future.
Vietnam welcomes the United States to strengthen cooperation in overcoming the consequences of war in the country, he said.
According to the Deputy Foreign Minister, cooperation in overcoming war consequences is one of the important pillars of the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership established in September 2023. Increasing cooperation in this field is the best way to heal the wounds of war, contributing to building trust and expanding cooperation into many other fields.
Burns for her part shared Ngoc’s view, saying the US Government is committed to continuing to support Vietnam in overcoming the consequences of war, especially in completely dealing with dioxin contamination at Bien Hoa Airbase, and in providing information to assist with the search and technology transfer for DNA examination of Vietnamese martyrs’ remains.
Cooperation in searching and handing over the remains of US soldiers missing in action was deployed immediately after the Paris Peace Accords were signed on January 27, 1973. To date Vietnam has handed over more than 1,000 sets of the remains, with more than 730 cases identified later by the US.
