STATEMENT BY JAMES WOLD DEPUTY SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR POW/MIA AFFAIRS ON HIS
TRIP TO VIETNAM
"The purpose of my visit to Vietnam was to continue the process established by
the presidential delegation that visited in July. As the senior Department of
Defense representative responsible for our accounting effort, I returned to
address specific areas of our work, and to see first hand the results of these
labors. My intention is to return on a regular basis to continue the senior
level dialog between our two governments, and to ensure and to measure
continued cooperation as we work toward the fullest possible accounting of our
missing.
"My visits to excavation sites in Quang Ninh and Hoa Binh Provinces reinforced
my earlier, favorable impressions of the hard work that is being done, and the
team work that has developed between U.S. and Vietnamese joint field activities
teams. The U.S. government is appreciative of the cooperation demonstrated at
this level, and of the progress made by these field teams.
"In my meetings with Vietnamese officials in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Ministry of Interior, and Ministry of Defense, I stressed the need for
continued cooperation that will lead us to more answers. I emphasized that the
quick and thorough investigation of live sighting reports remains our number
one priority. I also thanked the Vietnamese for their ongoing unilateral
efforts to review archives in the Ministry of Interior, and encouraged them to
continue their unilateral efforts in developing ways which will lead to
concrete results.
"I am confident that the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
recognizes the critical importance that continued progress in the POW/MIA issue
plays in the relationship between our nations and that we will work together to
realize progress on this complex and difficult question."