HÀ NỘI — A ceremony was held in the central city of Đà Nẵng on Tuesday to hand over to the US side remains believed to be of US servicemen missing in action (MIAs) during the war in Việt Nam.

The event, the 167th of its kind, was attended by US Ambassador to Việt Nam Marc Knapper, Indo-Pacific Director at the US Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) Christopher Phelps, and officials from the US MIA office in Hà Nội (DET2). Representing Việt Nam were leaders of the Việt Nam Office for Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP), and representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Defence, and Public Security.

At the ceremony, the VNOSMP handed over a casket containing the remains, which experts from both countries assessed may be related to US servicemen missing in Việt Nam. This handover was the result of the 156th joint field activity, which took place between July and September this year.

The event coincided with the one-year anniversary of Việt Nam and the US elevating their relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership (September 10, 2023-24), underscoring the commitment of both nations to cooperate on addressing war legacy issues, which is considered a priority of their bilateral relations.

The cooperation to search for and return the remains of US MIAs began shortly after the signing of the Paris Peace Accords on January 27, 1973.

After more than five decades of collaborative efforts, Việt Nam has handed over to the US over 1,000 sets of remains and helped the US identify 735 cases. This humanitarian endeavour has played a crucial role in healing the wounds of war, building trust, and advancing the Việt Nam-US relationship to its current level. — VNS