Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, Vietnamese Deputy Defense Minister and Head of the Standing Office of the National Steering Committee on the Settlement of Post-war Unexploded Ordnance and Toxic Chemical Consequences in Vietnam (Steering Committee 701), and U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Evans Knapper co-chaired the signing ceremony.
Speaking at the event, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien emphasized that the MoU aims to materialize the commitments of the two countries' senior leaders made in the 2023 Joint Statement on the elevation of Vietnam-U.S. relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace, cooperation, and sustainable development. He highlighted the MoU’s signing as an important and meaningful activity on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
He noted that, in recent years, Vietnam and the U.S. have closely coordinated in war consequence relief, achieving remarkable and meaningful results that demonstrate the strong political will of both governments and their respective defense agencies as well as the effective, goodwill-based cooperation of the U.S. The MoU reflects a strong commitment by the U.S. Department of War, the U.S. Department of State, and the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense to enhance collaboration in war legacy settlement.
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Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien addressing the ceremony |
Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien expressed confidence that the MoU will serve as a foundation for both countries to deepen and expand their cooperation, achieving more significant and meaningful results in the coming years, thereby reinforcing mutual trust in the robust development of the Vietnam–U.S. Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace, cooperation, and sustainable development.
For his part, U.S Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Evans Knapper praised the progress and achievements made in bilateral cooperation on war consequence remediation. He expressed appreciation for Vietnam’s support and contribution to addressing war legacy in general, to search operations for U.S. personnel missing in action (MIA) in particular. The Ambassador affirmed that the signing of the MoU reaffirms the strong spirit of cooperation between the two countries, noting that joint efforts in overcoming war legacy form a solid foundation for the further development of bilateral relations in other areas and the elevation of U.S.–Vietnam ties to a new level.
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U.S Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Evans Knapper addressing the event |
The MoU outlines five main areas of cooperation, including remediation of post-war bomb and mine contamination in Vietnam; improving the quality of life for persons with disabilities, regardless of cause, in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin; dioxin remediation at Bien Hoa Airport; continued support for the search, collection, and identification of remains of Vietnamese martyrs; and comprehensive cooperation in the search for U.S. personnel missing in action during the war in Vietnam.
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Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien and U.S Ambassador to Vietnam Marc Evans Knapper exchange the MoU. |
The MoU also defines five areas of collaboration, focusing on information and keepsakes sharing, experience exchange, training, scientific research, and technology application; and promotes delegation exchanges, conferences, communications, and joint project implementation. Both sides agreed to establish working groups to facilitate coordination, deployment of the MoU, and evaluation of the implementation progress.
Translated by Trung Thanh