US Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel J. Kritenbrink speaks at the workshop

Speaking at an international workshop on cluster munition remnant survey methods in the central province of Quang Tri from August 27-29, the diplomat stressed that the US is committed to dealing with war consequences.

On the occasion, the US diplomat visited the Truong Son National Martyrs Cemetery, where over 10,000 Vietnamese soldiers were laid to rest.

Daniel is the first US ambassador to have visited the cemetery nearly 25 years after the two sides normalized their diplomatic ties.

He also visited the Hien Luong Bridge relic site in the Hien Luong-Ben Hai special national historical relic site, which expresses Vietnam’s aspiration for peace and national reunification.
This demonstrates efforts of the US side in healing the wounds of war in the principle of honesty with the past and towards the future.

Participants to the workshop shared experience and defined issues that need to be improved, thus rolling out the best ways and principles for cluster munition remnant survey activities.

Quang Tri is the province hardest hit by UXOs with the area of land contaminated with the deadly war legacy amounting to 82 percent of its total, and more than 8,500 local people have been killed or injured after the war ended.

The locality previously recorded about 70 bomb and landmine-related incidents each year. However, in 2018, the province for the first time recorded no incident and it is striving to become the first locality of Vietnam free from such incidents by 2025. -VNA