Deputy Defense Minister Nguyen Chi Vinh (L) welcomes US Senator Patrick Leahy at Bien Hoa airport on April 20, 2019. (Photo: tuoitre.vn)

Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh praised bilateral cooperation in addressing war legacies, particularly in demining and dioxin remediation activities. The Bien Hoa airbase area is the largest remaining hotspot of dioxin contamination in Vietnam.

“It’s a tremendous honor for me to be here today with Senator Patrick Leahy. His support, his leadership, the leadership of the other 8 senators here and of the American people. That’s what made this Bien Hoa remediation project possible,”  US Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel Kritenbrink told the project launch ceremony.

The cleanup is expected to take at least 10 years and cost 390 million USD

In 2018, Vietnam and the US completed the six-year, 110 million USD Environmental Remediation of Dioxin Contamination at Danang Airport Project, jointly implemented by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Vietnam’s Defense Ministry.

The same day, Vietnam and the US signed a memorandum of intent on improving the quality of life for people with disabilities in 7 Vietnamese provinces. Under the agreement, USAID will work with Vietnamese agencies to provide functional rehabilitation services and social services at the community level in the next 5 years.