US embassy cable - 03HANOI240

UNCLAS HANOI 000240 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL, MASS, VM, US 
SUBJECT:  VVAF AND MOD SIGN HISTORIC AGREEMENT TO CONDUCT 
LANDMINE/UXO SURVEY 
 
 
1. (U) Another small, but historic step in the bilateral 
relationship took place in Hanoi on January 27, when the 
Ministry of Defense (MOD) signed an MOU for a survey of 
landmines and UXO with the Vietnam Veterans of America 
Foundation.  The Director of Defense Ministry's Demining 
Command (BOMICO), Senior Colonel Bui Minh Tam, signed for 
MOD, and David Holdridge, VVAF Country Representative and a 
veteran, signed for the United States.  DCM and DATT 
attended. 
 
2. (U) The Department's Humanitarian Demining Program (HDP) 
set aside $6 million for the Vietnam Level-One survey, 
formally known as the Vietnam Landmine/UXO Impact Assessment 
and Survey Project.  It includes data collection, field 
surveys to verify the data, and data analysis.  Phase one of 
the survey will last 12 months and cover the provinces of 
Quang Tri, Quang Binh, and Ha Tinh, all in central Vietnam. 
Phase two will include other contaminated provinces and 
occur after both parties review the results of phase one. 
Results will be consolidated into narrative reports and 
digital maps.  VVAF will implement the project on behalf of 
the Department. 
 
3. (U) The GVN-controlled local press gave the signing 
ceremony good coverage, another sign of the significance of 
the event for the GVN.  This followed in the wake of two 
'prep' articles that were published last week in the Army 
Newspaper and Vietnam News.  At the annual meeting between 
the Committee for Foreign NGO Affairs and Foreign NGOs, 
Deputy Foreign Minister Le Van Bang interrupted his 25- 
minute prepared speech to speak extemporaneously in support 
of the groundbreaking signing.  At the same event, the 
President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations, 
Mr. Vu Xuan Hong, also specifically focused on the signing, 
stating that he very much appreciated the understanding, 
determination and patience of VVAF and that this was a very 
important event. 
 
4. (U) Comment:  Negotiations on the MOU began in May 2001 
and took a long 20 months, stalled in part on GVN/PAVN 
sensitivities over where the survey would be conducted and 
the need for it to avoid sensitive border areas.  Agreement 
to sign the MOU clearly came from the top of the GVN and 
Communist Party.  Negotiations over phase two of the project 
could also be difficult.  Nonetheless, the fact that the MOD 
and an American veterans organization could reach agreement 
to sign the MOU is another positive sign for US-Vietnam 
relations and, hopefully, help reduce the lingering 
suspicion caused by the war.   The event also marks the 
first time that the Defense Ministry has signed an agreement 
with an NGO.  BURGHARDT