PANO - U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius on September 13 celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival with children affected by Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin at the Vietnam Friendship Village.

At the village, he delivered his remarks and presented gifts to the children. He said the festival offers chance for foreigners to learn about the culture, history, people and language of Vietnam.

US Ambassador to Vietnam Ted Osius making full-moon cakes with children at the Vietnam Friendship Village. Photo: Vietnam+

Also on this occasion, he talked with veterans under treatment in the village, recalling his visits to the central province of Quang Tri, a fierce battlefield in the war, saying his hope that there would be no UXO victims in the locality.

The US ambassador informed people at the village that the US and Vietnamese Governments have agreed on the AO/dioxin detoxification at Da Nang and Bien Hoa airports and the work has been underway.

The ambassador voiced his advocacy for the Vietnamese Government’s policy of setting the past beside and looking towards the future.

Located in Van Canh commune, Hoai Duc district (Hanoi), about 11 kilometers west of Hanoi CBD, the Vietnam Friendship Village provides medical care, physical therapies, education and vocational training for Vietnamese children, young adults and veterans affected by AO/dioxin.

Translated by Chung Anh