Representatives from Việt Nam and the United States attended the 173rd repatriation ceremony for the remains of a US servicemember missing in action (MIA) during the war in Việt Nam in Đà Nẵng on July 2. — Photo from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam and the United States on Thursday jointly held the 173rd repatriation ceremony for the remains of a US servicemember missing in action (MIA) during the war in Việt Nam, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

The ceremony, held in the central city of Đà Nẵng, was attended by representatives of the Việt Nam Office for Seeking Missing Persons (VNOSMP), alongside officials from the Ministry of National Defence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Public Security.

The US delegation included Lieutenant General Joel Bryant Vowell, Deputy Commanding General of the US Army Pacific; former US Ambassador to Việt Nam Marc Knapper; Christopher Phelps, Director for the Indo-Pacific Region at the US Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA); representatives from the US Defence Attaché Office and the US MIA Office in Hà Nội, as well as US veterans and citizens in Đà Nẵng.

At the ceremony, Việt Nam handed over one set of remains recovered during a recent joint excavation conducted by Vietnamese and US teams in Dân Hóa Commune, the central province of Quảng Trị, the locality that saw the fiercest battles during the war.

US military personnel handled the possible remains of a MIA US servicemember. — Photo from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

On June 30, forensic specialists from both countries examined the remains and reached a preliminary assessment that they could be associated with a US servicemember missing during the war. The remains will now be transferred to a forensic laboratory in Hawaii for further analysis and formal identification.

According to the ministry, this latest repatriation carried particular significance with the participation of a senior US military leader, reflecting Washington's continued priority on MIA accounting while recognising Việt Nam's goodwill and longstanding humanitarian efforts.

The ceremony followed a visit on June 23 by Acting US Secretary of the Navy Hung Cao to an MIA excavation site in Trường Ninh Commune, Quảng Trị Province, during his attendance at the Pacific Partnership programme.

Speaking to the press during that visit, Hung Cao has thanked the Vietnamese Government and people for their support in accounting for missing US personnel. He said the achievements in addressing the consequences of war demonstrated how both countries had worked to move beyond the past, heal wartime wounds and strengthen bilateral relations over recent decades.

He also reaffirmed the US' long-term commitment to programmes addressing war legacies in Việt Nam.

Humanitarian cooperation on accounting for US personnel missing during the war began shortly after the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in 1973. Since then, the joint effort has enabled the identification and repatriation of the remains of around 740 US servicemembers to their families.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the cooperation has become an important pillar of broader bilateral efforts to address the legacy of war, including US support for locating and identifying missing Vietnamese martyrs, unexploded ordnance clearance, dioxin remediation and assistance for people with disabilities affected by the war. — VNS