VIETNAM'S NOMINATION FOR FY06 OESI PROGRAM

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