An overview of the conference (Photo: VNA) Washington (VNA) – Vietnam and the US havereviewed their cooperation in dealing with the consequences of war during aconference in Washington DC on March 26, which was jointly held by the National Steering Committee on the Settlement ofPost-war Unexploded Ordnance and Toxic Chemical Consequences (Office 701) andthe US Institute of Peace (USIP).
Addressing the event, Deputy Defence Minister Sen. Lieut.Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh underlined that trust between the two governments have pavedthe way for the development of partnerships between the two countries.
He held that the two sides should look further to the futureas they have already overcome challenges in gaining each other’s trust throughactivities in repairing the effects of war.
Sen. Lieut. Gen. Vinh highly valued the support of SenatorPatrick Leahy, Vice Chairman of US SenateAppropriations Committee, in easing some of the pains of war for Vietnamesepeople.
He underlined that localpeople are willing to help search for US pilots who went missing during the warin Vietnam.
US Senator Patrick Leahylauded the efforts of the Vietnamese Government in searching for US soldiersmissing in action (MIA) in Vietnam, even when the country still faced manydifficulties and periods of poverty due to the devastations of war and the US’embargo.
Senator Leahy said that overthe years, the US has supported Vietnam in many bomb and mine clearanceprojects, as well as projects to support Agent Orange/dioxin victims and remediatedioxin contaimination around Da Nang airport.
He said that the US willcontinue providing funds for Vietnamese people with disabilities in areasaffected by Agent Orange/dioxin, revealing that he will lead a USparliamentarian delegation to visit Vietnam in early April to attend the openingceremony of the dioxin remediation project in Bien Hoa airport, as well as thesigning of a memorandum of understanding on launching a fund to support theproject with Office 701.
Throughout three discussionson the foundation of the Vietnam-US post-war relations; the healing of the painsof war; and the future path to building a sustainable partnership, Vietnamaffirmed that the settlement of the aftermaths of war, including searching for USMIAs, is among the top priorities of Vietnam-US cooperation. The humanitarianpartnership is the motivation for their collaboration in the future,contributing to building bilateral trust.
The US side showedappreciation for Vietnam’s ongoing efforts in searching for US MIAs.
At the event, insiders fromboth Vietnam and the US shared their stories, highlighting the difficulties andchallenges in the process of normalising relations between the two countries,affirming that settlement of war consequences is always an important foundationfor the bilateral partnership.
They lauded the outcomes ofbilateral cooperation in dioxin remediation in Da Nang and Bien Hoa airports,describing the results as a vivid symbol of affiliation between the two formerenemies.
Speaking to the Vietnam NewsAgency’s correspondent in the US, Sen. Lieut. Gen. Vinh said that cooperationbetween Vietnam and the US in settling the aftermaths of war is not only forhumanitarian purposes, but towards building the foundations for growth in theirbilateral partnership.
Previously, Vietnam onlyfocused on coping with war consequences and clearing bomb, mine, and dioxinsites. However, in the future, the country will align the work withdevelopment, environmental, and even science-tech development orientations, hesaid.
For example, Vietnam willwork to reduce those afflicted by post-war trauma, so that future generationswill not suffer the same effect. Meanwhile, the handing over of 40 ha of clean,detoxified land to Da Nang city has helped to expand Da Nang airport, promotingthe city’s development.
Through the Da Nang airportproject, Vietnam has gain knowledgeable experience related to technology andenvironmental issues, he said, adding that beyond dioxin contamination,Vietnam has seen problems from pollution of industrial waste, climate change,and environment.
Currently, Vietnam is to work on the remediation of Bien Hoaairport, with a total area of 1,000 ha, which is hoped to help promote the socio-economicand security-defence growth of Dong Nai province, he said.
The conference drew nearly 200 US delegates, including thosefrom the US Department of State, the Department of Defence, the US Agency forInternational Development, government agencies, and former US ambassadors toVietnam, among others. –VNA
VNA
