Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Nguyễn Quốc Dũng in an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency. VNA/VNS Photo

WASHINGTON — The search for, recovery and identification of the remains of Vietnamese martyrs has remained a key priority for the Vietnamese Embassy in the US as part of efforts to address the legacy of war.

As a bridge between Vietnamese agencies and US partners, the embassy has undertaken a range of activities to expand information sources, gain access to archival records, apply new technologies and mobilise additional resources for this deeply humanitarian mission.

In an interview with Vietnam News Agency correspondents in Washington on Tuesday, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyễn Quốc Dũng described cooperation in addressing war legacies, including the search for missing personnel from both sides, as a bright spot in Việt Nam-US relations.

He said the work is not only humanitarian in nature but also contributes to healing the wounds of war, strengthening mutual trust and promoting reconciliation.

According to the ambassador, under the Memorandum of Understanding on the Vietnam War Accounting Initiative (VWAI), signed by the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence and the US Department of Defence (now Department of War) in 2021, the US provided Việt Nam with 46 sets of records by the end of fiscal year 2025, of which Việt Nam verified 45.

In the first six months of 2026, Texas Tech University (TTU) provided Việt Nam with 600 pages of documents and 50 selected case files on missing Vietnamese military personnel.

These materials were selected, processed and analysed from more than 200 digitised records concerning 1,500 Vietnamese personnel contained in US archives.

The US has also returned more than 40 war artifacts to Việt Nam.

Dũng highlighted the embassy’s role in engaging the US administration, Congress and agencies and organisations, and serving as a bridge between Vietnamese agencies, particularly the Office of the National Steering Committee on the Search for, Collection and Identification of Martyrs' Remains and US counterparts and partners.

The embassy has also worked to connect US archives, universities, veterans’ organisations and businesses to broaden information sources, promote technological applications and deepen practical cooperation.

As part of the 500-day campaign to accelerate the search for, recovery and identification of martyrs’ remains, the embassy is encouraging the US to continue prioritising resources for VWAI for 2025-30.

It is also promoting the digitisation and sharing of records, as well as research involving aerial imagery and maps and the application of technologies such as ground-penetrating radar, remote sensing and forensic archaeology, he said.

The diplomat went on to say that a major advantage is the continued positive development of bilateral relations, with cooperation in addressing war legacies receiving attention from both countries.

Many US agencies, organisations and individuals have demonstrated goodwill and expressed their willingness to work with Việt Nam.

The embassy has also received close guidance from Vietnamese agencies and active coordination from partners including the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC), Mission: POW/MIA, Texas Tech University, the University of Georgia, the Defence POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) and US archival agencies.

However, the passage of time, the declining number of witnesses and the dispersion or limited accessibility of documents pose significant challenges. Resources, technology and mechanisms for coordinating and processing information among domestic and overseas stakeholders also need further improvement, Dũng stated.

In the coming period, the embassy will focus on three key areas: building a system of records and a network of partners for searches; closely coordinating with the Office of the National Steering Committee and US partners to effectively implement VWAI; and stepping up external communications on the 500-day campaign and the humanitarian and reconciliation significance of Việt Nam-US cooperation in addressing war legacies.

The ambassador expressed his belief that, with the determination of Vietnamese agencies and continued support from US partners, efforts to search for, recover and identify martyrs’ remains will achieve further practical results, fulfilling the legitimate aspirations of martyrs’ families and the Vietnamese people. — VNA/VNS