The U.K. government will continue to support Vietnam in dealing with the consequences of unexploded ordnance (UXO) left over from the war in the years to come, affirmed UK Minister of State for International Development Alan Duncan. Minister Duncan made the pledge at a working session on Oct 21 with Deputy Minister of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs Nguyen Trong Dam, who led a Vietnamese delegation from the National Action Program on Settling Consequences of Unexploded Ordnance to visit the U.K. on Oct 19-22. The U.K.’s support will focus on clearing postwar bombs and mines, collecting information about the contamination and raising the public awareness of UXO. At the meeting, Vietnam proposed signing a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in this field to create a basis for more joint activities in the future. Vietnam also asked the U.K. to advocate for the establishment of a group of donors and international organizations including the UN and World Bank for the settlement of such explosives in the communist country. The U.K.’s current action program on supporting bomb and mine clearance in Vietnam, including a $4.8 million project in the central province of Quang Tri, will end on March 31, 2014. (vietnamplus.vn Oct 24)
