At the meeting, the institute announced a more than US$450,000 assistance package comprising equipment, training and advanced technical solutions to support efforts to locate missing persons.

Margaret Hanson-Muse, President and CEO of the US-ASEAN Business Council Institute, said the programme is being implemented under the US Government’s Vietnam Wartime Accounting Initiative and is aimed at accelerating the identification of missing persons through modern technology.

She described the initiative as a continuation of US efforts to build trust and strengthen the long-term partnership between the two countries.

The initiative to search for Vietnamese missing in war demonstrates how cooperation among governments, companies and communities can help address the consequences of conflict while building stronger relationships for the future, Hanson-Muse said.

She also expressed appreciation for cooperation with the Vietnam-US Society in dealing with key war legacy issues and expanding bilateral cooperation in areas including dioxin remediation, accounting for missing persons and unexploded ordnance clearance.

The support package includes several strategic components, such as advanced DNA identification systems provided by QIAGEN, oral history projects and veteran exchange programmes implemented by Cultural Vistas, as well as technical assistance from Lockheed Martin to support the safety of search flights in challenging terrain.

Pham Quang Vinh, President of the Vietnam-US Society, welcomed the contributions of the US-ASEAN Business Council Institute and its partners, and affirmed that the society will continue working with relevant agencies and local authorities to ensure the effective implementation of the programme.

Representatives of both sides also discussed ways to expand humanitarian cooperation, contributing to stronger people-to-people exchanges and further deepening the Vietnam-US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

US, Vietnam mark continued humanitarian cooperation with MIA repatriation

VOV.VN - The 171st repatriation ceremony for the remains of a US servicemen missing in action (MIA) in the Vietnam War took place at Gia Lam Airport in Hanoi on the morning of December 13.

Humanitarian aid - highlight of Vietnam-US cooperation

VOV.VN - A project to improve the lives of people with disabilities in provinces heavily affected by Agent Orange/dioxin has been effectively implemented in Binh Phuoc province, a locality that has suffered the consequences of landmines, unexploded ordnances, and Agent Orange since the war.