VZCZCXRO1252
PP RUEHHM
DE RUEHHI #0770 0940551
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 040551Z APR 06 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1361
RUEHBK/AMEMBASSY BANGKOK PRIORITY 4675
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH CITY PRIORITY 0860
RUEKJCS/DOD WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS HANOI 000770 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR OES (LYNETTE POULTON KAMAKURA), EAP/MLS (ROBERT 
RAPSON, DOUG SONNEK) 
STATE PASS TO EPA (WILLIAM FARLAND, DENNIS CUNNINGHAM) 
BANGKOK FOR REO (JAMES WALLER, DANIEL KIEFER) 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID SENV VM
SUBJECT: VIETNAM'S NOMINATION FOR FY06 OESI PROGRAM 
 
REF: STATE 38577 
 
¶1.  (U) Mission Vietnam is pleased to submit a project 
proposal, developed by ESTHOff and Health Attache, for 
consideration under the FY06 funding for Oceans, Environment 
and Science Initiatives (OESI) program to promote democracy 
and good governance, leverage other funding, and advance 
U.S. negotiating objectives.  The proposal, entitled 
Mitigating the Impact of Dioxin-contaminated Hot Spots in 
Vietnam, builds on the Memorandum of Understanding to 
promote joint scientific research on health and 
environmental effects of Agent Orange (AO)/ dioxin in 
Vietnam, signed in 2002.  Full reconciliation between 
Vietnam and the United States will be difficult if not 
impossible to achieve without a resolution of the AO issue. 
Without question, advancing this issue in a positive, 
tangible way will facilitate the advancement of other U.S. 
policies and negotiating objectives in Vietnam. 
 
¶2.  (U) The objective of the proposed project is to assist 
the Government of Vietnam (GVN) to develop a strategic 
vision and detailed plan for remediation of dioxin 
contaminated areas in the Danang Airport, which can be used 
as a model for remediation of other contaminated sites. 
Such a plan would provide a needed platform from which the 
GVN can leverage support from the local and international 
donor communities, via the creation of a multilateral trust 
fund mechanism, for full-scale mitigation of all remaining 
hotspot sites.  As proposed, the $300,000 project would be 
funded through an inter-agency agreement to the Office of 
Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA), which will provide matching funds of 
approximately US$55,000. 
 
¶3.  (U) Mission Management strongly supports the AO/dioxin 
remediation project proposal for the OESI program as it 
directly supports the Mission's Performance Plan and 
advances the joint scientific cooperation on the 
environmental effects of AO in Vietnam.  The OES regional 
hub office in Bangkok also endorses our proposal submission. 
The full proposal has been sent by email to the OESI 
Coordinator Lynette Poulton Kamakura as requested in reftel. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Comment.  Prime Minister Pham Van Khai asked 
President Bush for help with the AO issue during their June 
2005 meeting in the Oval Office.  No doubt, the issue will 
be on the Vietnamese agenda for the President's November 
2006 visit to Hanoi.  Moving ahead on this project, 
particularly if it leads to a multilateral trust fund to 
deal with the issue, would completely change the tenor of 
that discussion.  End Comment. 
 
MARINE