On the afternoon of July 10 in Hanoi, the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), in coordination with the United States Embassy in Vietnam and the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), held a formal handover ceremony for equipment, materials, chemicals, and advanced DNA sequencing procedures to help improve Vietnam's DNA identification capacity.
The event marked a key milestone in a US government-funded, non-refundable Official Development Assistance (ODA) project aimed at upgrading Vietnam’s DNA analysis abilities to identify recovered remains.
The newly received equipment and facilities represent a significant step forward in implementing the project, enabling VAST scientists to enhance their technical capabilities and master modern DNA analysis technologies. This advancement enables the efficient application of large-scale testing, meeting the rigorous demands posed by heavily degraded, decades-old remains. It also opens the possibility of matching DNA from highly degraded remains with the DNA from families searching for loved ones with distant kinship connections, extending as far as four to five generations.
The handover ceremony aims to mark the 30th anniversary of US-Vietnam diplomatic relations (1995-2025) and a meaningful milestone in humanitarian cooperation and post-war recovery efforts. It also reflects the continued commitment of both governments to building a forward-looking partnership grounded in science, technology, and shared humanitarian values.
