A Vietnamese delegation led by Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh
is paying an official visit to the US from July 14-24 to strengthen
cooperation on humanitarian issues and dealing with post-war
consequences.
Vinh, who is head of the State Steering Committee on the National Action
Programme on Settling Consequences of Unexploded Ordnance (known as
Steering Committee 504), has met with representatives from the US
Departments of State, Defence, and Labour, and with Senator Patrick
Leahy, chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee’s sub-committee
on State and Foreign Operations.
The delegation held several working sessions with US agencies on bomb and mine clearance technology.
Additional sessions included meetings with several UN agencies,
including the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Mine Action
Service (UNMAS), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Department of
Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO).
At the meetings,
Vinh affirmed that Vietnam is determined to implement its national
action strategy on overcoming the consequences of post-war unexploded
ordnance by 2020 and beyond.
He also informed the
hosts of the current bomb and mine pollution situation in Vietnam ,
as well as joint efforts by the Government, social and humanitarian
organisations and local authorities in gradually addressing the issue in
the country’s war-torn provinces.
The Deputy
Minister suggested the US Government and relevant agencies take
responsibility for providing resource assistance to Vietnam and
strengthening cooperation in humanitarian issues and effectively
overcoming the prolonged aftermath of the war, especially unexploded
bombs, mines and Agent Orange/dioxin.
“Vietnam-US
collaboration in addressing the post-war bomb and mine consequences not
only helps heal war wounds of the past, but also lays foundations for
future cooperation of the two countries’ young generations,” he
stressed.
The US officials vowed to support the
Vietnamese Government and social organisations in implementing the
country’s action programme on overcoming consequences of war in general
and unexploded ordnance in general.-VNA