During a joint press conference with Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh at the Government Guesthouse in Hanoi, Vietnam, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton drew attention to the significant role of the private sector in resolving the legacy of Agent Orange in Vietnam.
Reflecting on her discussion with her Vietnamese counterpart, Secretary Clinton said:
“As we discussed, I have worked very hard to make sure that the United States is addressing the Agent Orange issue. It is a legacy issue that we are–we remain concerned about, and we have increased our financial commitment to dealing with it. The Minister and I discussed consulting on having a long-term plan so that we can look not just from year to year, but into the future to try to determine the steps that we can both take. The Minister also mentioned the idea of getting the private sector involved in remediation efforts, and we will certainly explore that as part of this ongoing discussion.”
Secretary Clinton’s remarks come at a time when the needs of those affected by Agent Orange in both the US and in Vietnam are being addressed more comprehensively than ever before. While we are moving forward, much more remains to be done. Take a look around the Aspen Institute’s Agent Orange in Vietnam website for more information on this issue.
Read a full transcript of Secretary Clinton’s remarks here.
