US resumes many war recovery projects in Vietnam

On March 20, at the regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, spokesperson Pham Thu Hang received a question regarding the situation of cooperation projects to overcome the consequences of war between the US and Vietnam.

Ms. Hang said that cooperation in overcoming the consequences of war is considered the foundation of Vietnam-US relations. This cooperation contributes significantly to the process of reconciliation, healing and building trust between the two countries, opening up new opportunities for cooperation in other important areas.

"We know that many cooperation projects between Vietnam and the US in this field are continuing to be implemented or restarted, including projects to clear mines and explosives left over from the war and to clean up dioxin at Bien Hoa airport," the Foreign Ministry spokesperson informed.

According to Ms. Hang, the continued and effective implementation of these projects will make practical contributions to strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership for peace, cooperation and sustainable development between the two countries.

RENEW's activities in Quang Tri continue to be carried out. (Photo: KT)

On the same day, the Department of Home Affairs of Quang Tri province confirmed that it had received information about the lifting of the suspension order for the Integration 1 project of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Accordingly, this project and its partners are allowed to continue implementation in three provinces, including Quang Tri.

Integration 1 (Support to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities in provinces heavily sprayed with Agent Orange) is a non-refundable ODA project for the period 2021-2026 funded by USAID. The project is implemented in 8 provinces heavily sprayed with Agent Orange, including Quang Tri province. The project budget for Quang Tri province is 5,618,440 USD.

In addition, the Capacity Development Project for the Quang Tri Province Mine Action Center (QTMAC) for the period 2022-2025, with a total budget of 1.4 million USD funded through the NPA/Norway organization, is also allowed to resume operations.

Previously, two other projects in Quang Tri funded by the US Government also had their suspension lifted, including: the Environmental Restoration and Overcoming the Consequences of War (RENEW) project, funded through Norwegian People's Aid (NPA/Norway) with a total aid budget of 9.7 million USD; the Mine and Explosive Ordnance and Bomb Detection and Clearance project to minimize hazards and support the socio-economic development plan of Quang Tri province for the period 2021-2025, funded through PeaceTrees VietNam (PTVN/USA) with a total budget of 14.5 million USD.