Vietnam hands over nearly 1,000 sets of remain to the US

PSNews – The Vietnamese Office for Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP) held a ceremony to celebrate its 45th anniversary of establishment (1973 – 2018) on April 10, in Hanoi. 

The Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam was signed at the International Conference Center in Paris on January 27, 1973. Just two weeks later, the then Prime Minister Pham Van Dong also signed a decision to establish the Vietnamese Office for Seeking Missing Persons (MIA Vietnam) to implement Article 8B of the Paris Agreement.

Participants at the ceremony.
Participants at the ceremony. 

This decision reflected the respect and seriousness in deploying the Paris Agreement as well as the tradition of tolerance of Vietnamese people. To date, VNOSMP in collaboration with the US side conducted joint activities with 972 sets of remains being handed over to the US, nearly 720 of which have been identified.

In addition, by organizing joint activities, the US war veterans’ organizations have provided information regarding more than 11,000 Vietnamese martyrs, thus helping Vietnam seek over 1,000 remains.

Speaking at the event, VNOSMP Director Le Thanh Tung said the office is an inter-sectoral group under the management of the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of National Defence and Ministry of Public Security. 

Over the past 45 years, thousands of VNOSMP staff together with tens of thousands of personnel from local authorities and walks of life nationwide have sought remains of US servicemen missing in action. 

Vietnam’s goodwill and full cooperation has been welcomed by the US administration and Congress, the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia and the US war veterans’ organisations, which also stepped up the US’s efforts to address war consequences in Vietnam, especially post-war bomb and mine clearance and dioxin clean-up in Da Nang and Phu Cat airports, and then Bien Hoa airport in the near future. 

Deputy Foreign Minister Ha Kim Ngoc said the VNOSMP needs to continue staying united and working closely with ministries, agencies and localities in the effort. He suggested stepping up policy consultation with attention given to the US’s new proposals. 

As Vietnam and the US will mark the 30th anniversary of the joint search for remains of US servicemen this year, Ngoc asked the office to outline a report reviewing its activities, considering it an important milestone to popularize Vietnam’s humanitarian cooperation. 

By Linh Bui

Other News

Hanoi ready to implement Capital Law 2026, unlocking new development momentum

Hanoi ready to implement Capital Law 2026, unlocking new development momentum

The effectiveness of the Capital Law 2026 will be measured not by the number of legal documents issued but by tangible improvements in governance and public administration, better services for people and businesses, faster administrative procedures, stronger investment attraction and higher economic growth.

Vietnamese students earn honours at ROBOG Asia Cup 2026

Vietnamese students earn honours at ROBOG Asia Cup 2026

Three teams from Chu Van An Secondary School in Vietnam’s Thai Nguyen province have earned First Prize honours and advanced to the quarterfinals at the ROBOG Asia Cup 2026, a regional robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) competition for students held in Hong Kong, China.

Hanoi sets out new investment blueprint with century-long development vision

Hanoi sets out new investment blueprint with century-long development vision

As of early June, Hanoi had attracted 74.6 billion USD in foreign direct investment (FDI) through more than 9,250 valid projects. FDI inflows in the first six months were projected at 3.2 billion USD, surpassing the annual target by 116%, while nearly 16,000 new businesses were established in the first five months, up 34.4% year-on-year.

Vietnam promotes legal cooperation and rule of law at global forum

Vietnam promotes legal cooperation and rule of law at global forum

Vietnam’s development and international integration have gone hand in hand with the improvement of its legal system, the incorporation of international commitments into domestic legislation, and legal reforms aimed at fostering development, openness and global integration. The country regards international law as an essential instrument for building fair, mutually beneficial relations among nations.

Hanoi to hold investment promotion event on June 29

Hanoi to hold investment promotion event on June 29

At the event, Hanoi authorities plan to grant investment policy decisions and investment registration certificates to 20 exemplary projects in the fields of transportation infrastructure, industrial parks, urban development, social housing, environment, science and technology, and foreign investment attraction.

Hanoi's Red River urban area development draws widespread attention

Hanoi's Red River urban area development draws widespread attention

Located south of the Red River and extending from the historic inner city to newly developing areas in the south and the west, the central urban area along Red River’s right bank covers approximately 45,317 hectares and is projected to accommodate around 6.365 million residents by 2045 and 6.455 million by 2065.

Hanoi's Red River urban area development draws widespread attention

Hanoi's Red River urban area development draws widespread attention

Located south of the Red River and extending from the historic inner city to newly developing areas in the south and the west, the central urban area along Red River’s right bank covers approximately 45,317 hectares and is projected to accommodate around 6.365 million residents by 2045 and 6.455 million by 2065.

Regional cooperation strengthened to combat cross-border drug crime

Regional cooperation strengthened to combat cross-border drug crime

Vietnam, China, Laos and Myanmar face common challenges as drug syndicates increasingly exploit the Mekong River, cross-border transport networks, e-commerce platforms, international logistics services, cyberspace and cryptocurrencies to organise drug transactions and smuggling operations.