US Assistant Secretary of State Andrew J. Shapiro.

The US is seeking for more funding to assist Vietnamese dioxin victims and clear unexploded ordnance in Vietnam, said US Assistant Secretary of State Andrew J. Shapiro at a press conference on June 8, after the third Vietnam-US strategic dialogue on politics, security and national defense.

Fifteen years after the two countries normalized their diplomatic relations, dialogue is the only opportunity for the two countries to review cooperation in the past and to define cooperation for the future, Shapiro said.

Co-chairing the press briefing, Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh expressed his belief that the relations would develop more strongly in the coming time, both bilaterally and multilaterally.

Shapiro agreed, saying that that Vietnam-US relations will be “tightened and expanded.”

In the third dialogue, the two sides discussed regional and global security, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking and trans-national crime, relief aid to victims of natural disasters, security at sea, search and rescue work, visits by naval ships and international peace-keeping activity.

They looked at measures to increase cooperation in searching for Vietnamese and American personnel missing in action, minimizing the harmful effects of Agent Orange/dioxin, clearing unexploded ordnance, coping with climate change and rising sea levels, and exchanging high-level visits.

Shapiro said that he was moved after seeing tragedies in Vietnam caused by unexploded ordnance and said the US is “seeking more budget sources to help Vietnam” to clear unexploded ordinance and to assist Vietnamese AO/dioxin victims.

The US has committed to provide a total of $3.5 million for clearing unexploded ordnance and $9 million to deal with dioxin in Vietnam.

This was an annual Vietnam-US dialogue on politics, security and national defense to promote mutual trust and understanding. It took place at a time when Vietnam and the US are celebrating 15 years of diplomacy.

Admiral Robert Willard, Commander of the US Pacific Command and Deputy US Trade Representative Demetrios J. Marantis are also in Vietnam now.

PL