Vietnam, U.S. continue to promote cooperation in war legacy remediation

During the meeting, the two sides reviewed the results of their cooperation on war legacy remediation in Vietnam. Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien expressed his appreciation for USAID’s dedicated efforts in Vietnam, and for Ms. Grubbs personally, in implementing the dioxin remediation project at Bien Hoa Airport and in providing support to Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin victims in heavily sprayed provinces. He especially appreciated USAID’s advocacy for the continuation of these projects during the U.S. government’s review of its foreign aid programs.

Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien speaks at the meeting.

He emphasized that war legacy remediation in Vietnam is among the 17% of USAID projects approved to resume, highlighting the importance of these efforts within the broader Vietnam-U.S. relationship, particularly in the framework of bilateral defense cooperation. He noted that leaders of both countries, along with the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense and the U.S. Department of Defense, have recently reaffirmed the significance of this cooperation and expressed their commitment to further advancing it.

An overview of the meeting

General Chien expressed confidence that the transition of war legacy remediation programs from USAID to the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam would proceed smoothly and without disruption. He called for continued coordination between the U.S. Embassy, relevant U.S. agencies, and the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense to effectively implement the agreed-upon cooperation documents. He also urged the U.S. side to prioritize resource mobilization to accelerate remediation efforts, aiming for the full cleanup of dioxin contamination at Bien Hoa Airport, and to assist Vietnam in addressing other hotspots, such as Phu Cat Airport.

Ms. Aler Grubbs exchanges views with Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien.

Furthermore, he called for close cooperation in carrying out the project to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities in eight heavily sprayed provinces; resuming implementation of the Letter of Intent on media cooperation to raise awareness of war legacy issues; and continuing to implement effectively the signed Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation in the search for remains of Vietnamese martyrs missing in action during the war.

Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien presents a certificate of merit to Ms. Aler Grubbs.

Ms. Aler Grubbs shared her positive impressions from her tenure at USAID Vietnam, especially regarding the progress achieved in war legacy remediation. She thanked the Ministry of National Defense for its close collaboration in advancing and effectively implementing these efforts. She also confirmed that, following the closure of USAID Vietnam, several of its personnel would transition to the U.S. Embassy to ensure project continuity without interruption.

Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien presents certificates of merit to USAID Vietnam personnel.

At the meeting, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien presented certificates of merit from the Vietnamese Minister of National Defense to Ms. Aler Grubbs and other USAID personnel for their significant contributions to dioxin and chemical remediation efforts in Vietnam during the 2021–2025 period.

Translated by Chung Anh