The event was co-chaired by Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Minister of National Defence and head of the National Steering Committee on the settlement of post-war unexploded ordnance and toxic chemicals in Viet Nam (Steering Committee 701), and US Ambassador to Viet Nam Marc Evans Knapper.
The MoU aims to realise high-level commitments made by the two countries in the 2023 Joint Statement on upgrading Viet Nam–US relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace, cooperation, and sustainable development. It also draws on the 2024 Viet Nam–US Joint Vision Statement on defence cooperation and updates the 2011 MoU between the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence and the US Department of Defence (now the Department of War), revised in 2022.
Colonel Can Anh Tuan, Deputy Director of the Ministry of National Defence’s Military Science Department and Chief of the Office of Steering Committee 701, said the MoU will strengthen collaboration in five key areas: clearing unexploded ordnance; improving the quality of life for people with disabilities in provinces heavily affected by Agent Orange; remediating dioxin contamination at Bien Hoa Airport; and supporting the search, recovery, and identification of Vietnamese soldiers’ remains; and delivering comprehensive cooperation in locating US servicemen missing in action (MIA) in Viet Nam.
Efforts will focus on sharing information, documents and artefacts, providing training, conducting scientific research, promoting delegation exchange, organising conferences and workshops, and strengthing media cooperation under the MoU.
Both sides have clarified their roles and established joint working groups to facilitate coordination, planning, and evaluation. The Vietnamese team is led by the Chief of the Office of Steering Committee 701, while the US team is headed by the Political Counsellor representing the US Department of State and a senior official representing the US Department of War.
Chien highlighted the significance of the MoU as part of activities to celebrate the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. He noted the success of past cooperation, including the remediation of dioxin-contaminated areas at Da Nang Airport, ongoing efforts at Bien Hoa Airport, and improving the lives of more than 30,000 Agent Orange/dioxin victims and people with disabilities in six heavily affected provinces.
He also mentioned the recovery and repatriation of over 990 sets of remains of US servicemen, capacity-building training for Vietnamese personnel involved in post-war ordnance clearance, and the provision of around 800,000 pages of documents and artefacts by US individuals and organisations to support search and recovery efforts.
He emphasised that the MoU demonstrates a strong commitment by the US Department of War and Department of State, and Viet Nam’s Ministry of National Defence - the standing agency of Steering Committee 701 to deepen cooperation in war legacy remediation. He expressed confidence that the agreement will serve as a foundation for further close collaboration and significant achievements, completing the remediation work and reinforcing trust in the robust development of the Viet Nam–US Comprehensive Strategic Partnership for peace, cooperation, and sustainable development.
Echoing Chien's views, Ambassador Marc Evans Knapper praised the achievements of both countries in this cooperation and acknowledged Viet Nam’s contributions, particularly in locating MIAs. He stressed that the signing of the MoU reaffirms strong bilateral cooperation and provides a solid foundation for developing relations across other fields, raising Viet Nam–US relations to new heights in the years ahead.
