VETERANS AFFAIRS SECRETARY NICHOLSON MEETS MOLISA

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SUBJECT: VETERANS AFFAIRS SECRETARY NICHOLSON MEETS MOLISA
MINISTER AND PRESIDENT OF VETERANS ASSOCIATION OF VIETNAM


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1. (SBU) Summary: On April 28, 2006 Secretary of Veterans
Affairs James Nicholson, met in separate meetings with
Minister of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (MOLISA)
Nguyen Thi Hang and with the President of the Vietnam
Association of Veterans (VAV),Lieutenant General (retired)
Dang Quan Thuy. Minister Hang suggested that the United
States and Vietnam could cooperate in the construction of a
research institute on persistent diseases contracted by
veterans, and in prevention of diseases like diabetes or
HIV/AIDS in veterans, and on orthopedic care and the
provision of prosthetics. In the VAV meeting, Lt Gen (ret)
Thuy noted veterans' care is an area where both sides could
share experience, and that Vietnam would welcome additional
humanitarian assistance for problems related to unexploded
ordnance or Agent Orange (dioxin),and that he hoped
American veterans could encourage USG support for Vietnam's
accession to the WTO. Secretary Nicholson thanked both
leaders for their hospitality and insights on veteran's
issues and conditions in Vietnam today. He extended an
invitation to the minister and to the VAV president to visit
Department of Veterans Affairs' facilities and see our
research into prosthetics and injuries faced by veterans.
End Summary.


2. (SBU) The Secretary, accompanied by Ambassador, started
his meeting with Minister Hang by thanking her for arranging
his visit earlier in the day to a MOLISA-run Center for
Severely Wounded Veterans in Bac Ninh Province. He noted
that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in the United
States provides care to American veterans who are similarly
injured. It would be useful for the United States and
Vietnam to exchange ideas on how to serve our countries'
respective veterans better. For example, the United States
does a great deal of research into prosthetics for amputees.
The VA also plays a role in educating veterans about health
matters in general, and how to prevent diseases such as
HIV/AIDS and diabetes. The USG and the Embassy are willing
to work with MOLISA to help educate Vietnamese veterans and
the larger population about disease prevention. The USG is
also assisting disabled Vietnamese veterans and their
families through USG-funded centers throughout Vietnam, the
Secretary described.

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3. (SBU) Minister Hang said that Vietnam has many centers
such as the one the Secretary visited earlier in the day.
Although many severely wounded veterans are able to live and
be cared for by their families, they are also able to visit
these centers once a year for treatment, or more often if
their injuries relapse. There are also cases in which
veterans are suffering from wounds so severe that he or she
cannot live at home and must live in one of these centers.
Vietnam also has institutions to care for children who
suffer from the "consequences of war." (Note: This is a
reference to dioxin and unexploded ordnance. End Note.)
The GVN works to ensure that its veterans receive health
care and disease prevention education, and also has 15
centers that give orthopedic and plastic surgery treatment
and manufacture prosthetics. Vietnam is very grateful for
the support the USG and American NGOs provide for wheelchair
and prosthetics manufacturing, Minister Hang said.


4. (SBU) The GVN always strives to treat its veterans with
respect and provides them with both direct and indirect
support, the Minister continued. MOLISA provides care to
ten million veterans and civilians. On the occasion of the
Secretary's visit, the Minister offered two suggestions

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regarding possible bilateral activities:

-- The construction of an institute to research persistent
diseases contracted by veterans; and,

-- Cooperation to find ways to assist veterans in preventing
diseases such as diabetes and HIV/AIDS, and cooperation for
orthopedic care and the provision of prosthetics.


5. (SBU) Noting that, in the United States, veterans are
afforded the utmost respect, the Secretary commended the
minister for her and her ministry's efforts to provide care
to Vietnam's veterans. To advance bilateral cooperation and
understanding in this important area, the Secretary invited
the minister or her representative to visit the United
States and the VA to allow us to share our research on
prosthetics, spinal cord injuries and brain trauma, and to
show our facilities and introduce some of our own veterans.
The United States commits many resources to the prevention

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and treatment of diseases and injuries faced by veterans.
Minister Hang responded that she would be happy to visit or
to have one of her representatives visit.


6. (SBU) The Secretary, together with Ambassador, next met
with the President of VAV. The Secretary thanked retired
Lieutenant General (Lt Gen) Thuy for the Vietnam's
cooperation with the United States on efforts for fullest
possible accounting of U.S. personnel missing from the war
period, and also for VAV's support to that effort. This is
an important issue on which both sides should continue to
work closely. The Secretary remembered his own U.S. Army
service in Vietnam's Central Highlands, and said that he had
been looking forward to returning to Vietnam for 40 years.
He noted that we must recognize our past, but embrace he
future together. TheUnited States and Vietnam should look
for more wys to cooperate, and he added that we have common
goals: peace; prosperity; and creating opportunites for our
citizens.


7. (SBU) The Secretary noed that the Department of Veterans
Affairs wantsto help veterans in Vietnam as well as those
fro all around the world and mentioned three areas inwhich
USG and GVN could cooperate:

-- Knowledge and work on prosthetic devices

-- Treatment of spinal cord injuries

-- Treatment of brain trauma injuries

The Secretary described some advances sponsored by his
Department in these areas, then said that the United States
would be pleased to share developments in these areas with
Vietnam. He noted that the General had visited the VA in the
past and invited him to return for another visit to see
these advances.


8. (SBU) LT Gen Thuy thanked the Secretary for his
observations and the invitation. He replied that it is good
for veterans of former opposing forces on the battlefield to
have the opportunity to meet again as friends. He agreed
that both sides should look for ways to cooperate and stated
that when he went to the United States he found that the
United States has a good system of hospitals and great
experience in providing care to American veterans. He
recalled that in addition to his visit to Washington, D.C.,
he also visited New York City, and Santa Cruz, California.
He was well-received by several veterans' groups who all
promised assistance to Vietnam. He claimed that no
assistance, however, had yet arrived.


9. (SBU) The General continued that, just like the United
States, Vietnam cares for its veterans, and both countries
should share their respective experiences. The General noted
that many Americans are very interested in POW/MIA issues
and he has urged American veterans' associations to take
part in resolving some of these issues.


10. (SBU) On the issue of fullest possible accounting, Lt
Gen Thuy believes that Vietnam has turned over to the United
States more than 800 sets of remains of American MIAs, but
said that all the easy sites have been explored now and only
the difficult sites remain. He said this effort is part of
Vietnam's tradition of doing humanitarian work. He is proud
of it and insisted that this tradition will continue. The
General went on to say that long lasting consequences of war
are very serious in Vietnam, including unexploded ordnance
and disabilities caused by Agent Orange. Therefore, Vietnam
would welcome any additional humanitarian assistance the
United States could provide.


11. (SBU) The General closed by saying that Vietnam is
eagerly looking forward to APEC 2006 summit including the
visit of America's President. He said that he believes
American veterans have a lot of political influence in the
United States and he hopes that American veterans will
encourage the USG to support Vietnam's accession to WTO.


12. (U) Secretary Nicholson's party has cleared this
message.

MARINE