US veterans have promised to continue their support for Vietnamese Agent Orange /dioxin victims and promote friendly relations between the two countries’ veterans and people.

A delegation from the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), led by its Vice President Jack Gerald Devine, made the commitment during its meeting with President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Vu Xuan Hong in Hanoi on March 12.

Hong updated the VVA delegation on Vietnam ’s socio-economic situation, its foreign policy as well as the Vietnam-US relationship.

He briefed the guests on the activities of the VUFO and the Vietnam-US Association in boosting relations between the Vietnamese people and their counterparts in other nations, including the US .

The VUFO president urged the VVA to expand its operations in humanitarian aid, assisting Vietnamese AO/dioxin victims, and clearing bombs and mines left from the war, along with implementing the Veterans Initiative.

Devine said that, as part of the Veterans Initiative, the delegation’s current visit aims to compare notes with relevant agencies of Vietnam about bilateral ties and progress in dealing with the Missing in Action (MIA) issue.

The VVA delegates will provide information that may lead to the locations where 30-35 Vietnamese combatants laid down their lives or were reported missing in the central province of Quang Tri and the cities of Da Nang and Hue.

They will also hand over a number of personal belongings of fallen Vietnamese soldiers, Devine added.

VVA officially sent its first delegation to Vietnam in 1994 when it began the Veterans Initiative to join hands with the nation in addressing the MIA issue.

Since then, 22 VVA delegations have visited Vietnam and provided information to help the country recover close to 1,000 sets of remains of fallen combatants. (VNA)