United States and Vietnam’s War Remnants Museum Announce New Partnership to Develop an Exhibit on Overcoming Legacies of War

HO CHI MINH CITY, April 10, 2023 – Today, the United States Mission to Vietnam, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), announced the formalization of a new partnership with the War Remnants Museum (WRM) to co-design and install an exhibit showcasing the two countries’ joint efforts to overcome the consequences of war. USAID/Vietnam Mission Director Aler Grubbs and WRM Director Dr. Tran Xuan Thao signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on their partnership at a ceremony held at the museum today, with a visiting delegation of U.S. Congress members led by Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Consul General Susan Burns witnessing.

In 2021, USAID and the Office of the Standing Board for the National Steering Committee on Overcoming the Post-War Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) and Toxic Chemical Consequences in Vietnam (“Office 701”) agreed via a Letter of Intent (LOI) to implement joint communication activities to raise awareness of war legacy cooperation. The WRM exhibit is the first deliverable under the LOI and will share the story of post-war reconciliation efforts that are not well known by the general public. 

This collaboration will help the museum create a modern, state-of-the art exhibit that incorporates accessibility features and adheres to an international code of ethics for museums. The new exhibit will focus on three main areas of cooperation: mine/UXO action, environmental remediation, and support for persons with disabilities. 

USAID and WRM intend to open the exhibit in 2025, to mark the 30th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Vietnam, and the 50th anniversaries of the end of the war, and WRM’s founding. 

With nearly one million domestic and international visitors per year, the WRM is Vietnam’s most visited museum.

Also in attendance at today’s signing ceremony were U.S. Congress members Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX-37), Representative Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-07), and Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05).

For more information about USAID’s partnership with Vietnam, please visit: https://www.usaid.gov/vietnam.

For event photos, visit: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjAyNMd.