Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang, Deputy Defense Minister and Head of the Standing Office of the National Steering Committee for Overcoming the Post-War UXO and Toxic Chemicals Consequences (Committee 701), and U.S. Ambassador to Viet Nam Jennifer Wicks co-chaired the ceremony.
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An overview of the signing ceremony |
Speaking at the event, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang expressed his pleasure at co-chairing the signing of the two documents securing non-refundable ODA funding to continue implementing two key bilateral cooperation projects on overcoming war aftermath: the dioxin remediation project at the Bien Hoa Airbase area and the project supporting the improvement of the quality of life of people with disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent Orange (AO).
According to Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang, through these two documents, the U.S. has increased its non-refundable ODA funding to USD 430 million for the Bien Hoa Airbase dioxin remediation project and USD 156 million for the project supporting AO/dioxin victims and persons with disabilities.
The project is currently being implemented in six provinces and cities, namely Quang Tri, Hue, Da Nang, Quang Ngai, Gia Lai, and Dong Nai, and will gradually expand to other key localities. To ensure counterpart funding, the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense approved an adjustment to increase the counterpart fund to VND 353 billion, committing to ensuring sufficient resources for the project completion.
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Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang and U.S. Ambassador Jennifer Wicks at the signing ceremony |
The Deputy Defense Minister affirmed that the signing of the documents was of practical significance, demonstrating the responsibility and commitment of Viet Nam and the U.S. in implementing the Memorandum of Understanding signed on October 31, 2025, between the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense, the U.S. Department of War, and the U.S. Department of State.
The signing also contributed to materializing the commitments made by the two countries’ senior leaders in the 2023 Joint Statement on elevating Viet Nam-U.S. relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
For her part, U.S. Ambassador Jennifer Wicks affirmed that overcoming war aftermath was a key area of cooperation between the two countries, creating opportunities for both sides to further promote bilateral relations. She expressed her hope that the two sides would continue closely coordinating to implement agreed contents and fulfill commitments on addressing war consequences.
Over the past time, functional agencies of Viet Nam and the U.S. have closely coordinated in effectively implementing cooperation activities to address the impacts of toxic chemicals/dioxin on people and the environment. These efforts have achieved important results and have been recognized by the leaders of both countries as a foundation and a highlight in Viet Nam-U.S. cooperation.
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Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang receives U.S. Ambassador Jennifer Wicks. |
Since 2019, the two sides have jointly carried out the remediation of the largest dioxin-contaminated area in Viet Nam at Bien Hoa Airbase, achieving encouraging results and completing about 50 percent of the workload. They have also cooperated to improve the quality of life of more than 40,000 AO/dioxin victims and persons with disabilities in six heavily sprayed provinces.
However, addressing post-war toxic chemical/dioxin consequences still requires urgent efforts, significant resources, and advanced technologies. These efforts aim to complete the Bien Hoa Airbase dioxin remediation project by 2031 as scheduled, while providing timely medical support and healthcare for victims in Ca Mau, Quang Ngai, and other key localities.
Therefore, the signing of the two agreements will create favorable conditions for Viet Nam and the U.S. to accelerate efforts to overcome war aftermath, contributing to strengthening bilateral relations.
Prior to the signing ceremony, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang received U.S. Ambassador Jennifer Wicks.
Translated by Minh Anh