Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang, Deputy Minister of National Defense, and US Ambassador to Vietnam Jennifer Wicks McNamara co-chaired the signing ceremony.

Under the first agreement, the US is adding approximately 130 million USD to the dioxin remediation project at Bien Hoa airport. This increases the total non-refundable Official Development Assistance (ODA) from 300 million to about 430 million USD.

The project began in 2019. To date, approximately 41 hectares of land have been certified as clean according to applicable regulations and standards. The Air Defense - Air Force Service will continue to coordinate with Vietnamese and US agencies and units to implement the project, ensuring quality, progress, safety, and effectiveness.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang, Deputy Minister of National Defense, and Jennifer Wicks McNamara, US Ambassador to Vietnam, sign the agreements. Photo: Giang Huy.

The second agreement allocates 91 million USD in non-refundable aid to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities. This support will benefit individuals regardless of the cause of their disability, focusing on areas heavily sprayed with Agent Orange and other key regions.

The project will be implemented in Ca Mau and Quang Ngai, with gradual expansion to other localities depending on scope and resources.

Deputy Minister Nguyen Truong Thang stated that cooperation in addressing war legacies is a crucial foundation for Vietnam-US relations. Vietnam is committed to continuing to facilitate efforts to search for US military personnel missing in action (MIA) from the war. Concurrently, Vietnam requested that the US increase its sharing of information, data, and artifacts related to Vietnamese soldiers.

This information will contribute to accelerating the "500-Day and Night Campaign to Accelerate the Search, Collection, and Identification of Martyrs' Remains".

Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang, Deputy Minister of National Defense, speaks at the ceremony. Photo: Giang Huy.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang expressed hope that the two agreements will contribute to definitively resolving dioxin contamination at Bien Hoa airport before 2031. This aims to provide a safe living environment for residents and enhance the quality of life for people with disabilities.

Ambassador Jennifer Wicks McNamara stated that the agreements demonstrate the two nations' shared commitment to ongoing programs. "Cooperation in addressing war legacies continues to be a crucial foundation for Vietnam and the US to develop relations, enabling the two countries to elevate bilateral ties to new heights and expand into new areas, beyond war-related programs," she said.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang, Deputy Minister of National Defense, and Jennifer Wicks McNamara, US Ambassador to Vietnam, exchange remarks at the signing ceremony. Photo: Giang Huy.

Huy Ha