During his visit, Ambassador Kritenbrink met with Chairman of the Quang Tri provincial People's Committee Nguyen Duc Chinh, and visited a Peace Trees Vietnam unexploded ordnance (UXO) clearance site, Truong Son National Cemetery, and Hien Luong Bridge.
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Ambassador Kritenbrink meets with Quang Tri provincial Chairman Nguyen Duc Chinh |
In his meeting with the Chairman of the Quang Tri provincial People's Committee, Ambassador Kritenbrink congratulated Chinh and his colleagues on the province’s accomplishments on removing UXO and its leading model for mine action in Vietnam and the region.
The partnerships between Quang Tri’s provincial government, international organizations, and U.S.-funded NGOs have set the standard of best practices in UXO decontamination.
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Ambassador Kritenbrink and Vice Chairman of the Quang Tri provincial People's Committee Hoang Nam visit Hien Luong Bridge |
Further, the recent addition of military liaisons working directly with NGOs is setting a standard for harmonizing civilian and military demining, while building up the long-term capacity of the government to decontaminate any new UXO discoveries.
Ambassador Kritenbrink stated, “Within Quang Tri province, the U.S. Embassy deeply appreciates our close cooperation with the provincial government and NGOs to address war legacies. We are so grateful for these vital partnerships in our shared efforts to make the province impact-free by 2025.”
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Ambassador Kritenbrink visits with Peace Trees deminers at a UXO clearance site to learn more about their work |
At the Peace Trees UXO clearance site, Ambassador Kritenbrink met with Country Director Pham Hoang Ha – one of the first female UXO specialists – and a diverse group of deminers to witness their tremendous efforts to clear and demine Quang Tri.
Peace Trees Vietnam also offers UXO risk education to students. The U.S. Department of State provides funding to Peace Trees Vietnam with the goal of making communities safe and Quang Tri province UXO impact-free by 2025.
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Ambassador Kritenbrink and Quang Tri officials pay a visit and offer incense at the Truong Son National Cemetery |
Together the U.S.-funded UXO teams have cleared nearly 160 million square meters in Vietnam since the beginning of operations in 1995, and disposed of over 700,000 UXO devices and other explosive remnants of war.
Addressing war legacy issues is a foundational element of U.S.-Vietnam relations. In a spirit of reconciliation and mutual respect, Ambassador Kritenbrink also visited the Hien Luong Bridge and Truong Son Cemetery.
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Ambassador Kritenbrink offers incense at the Truong Son National Cemetery |
While the U.S. and Vietnam continue to address the legacies of the past, today, the two countries have a true partnership and friendship grounded in mutual respect and a shared commitment to the peace and prosperity for our people.
“As the Ambassador to Vietnam, I’m grateful that my job enables me to visit provinces, cities, and towns throughout Vietnam, meeting with wonderful people doing amazing work to build bridges between our two countries,” said Ambassador Kritenbrink.
Reported by Song Anh