Experts from Vietnam and the U.S. met at an annual meeting in Hanoi to discuss feasible solutions to deal with Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin-related issues, showing the joint commitment to the matters left in the Vietnam War. The 7th meeting of the Vietnam-U.S. Joint Advisory Committee (JAC) on Agent Orange took place on Sept 20-21 with experts from Vietnam’s several ministries and the U.S. Ministry of National Defense (MND), the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). JAC’s meeting aims to provide scientific advice to the Vietnamese and U.S. governments on cleanup of dioxin contamination and research on dioxin-related health issues, the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi said in a press release. This meeting marked the progress in bilateral cooperation to help Vietnam better respond to environmental and health challenges, Ambassador David Shear said. The event followed the cleanup of dioxin contamination in Danang airport, the project marking Washington’s first involvement in cleaning up dioxin in Vietnam after the war ended. Members at the meeting reviewed solutions to deal with AO residue in several most dioxin-polluted places including Phu Cat and Bien Hoa airbases. Dioxin residue remains a big challenge to Vietnam as AO-linked consequences which have lasted to the third generation among roughly 4.8 million Vietnamese people vulnerable to AO/dioxin. (www.monre.gov.vn [1] Sept 20, vietnam.usembassy.gov Sept 24)
