Chi tiết tin - Sở Ngoại vụ

Chairman Le Hong Vinh expressed his appreciation for Ambassador Jennifer Wicks’ attention to Quang Tri, particularly her decision to make the province one of the first localities she visited after beginning her tenure in Vietnam in July 2026.

Briefing the Ambassador on the province’s current situation and development orientations, Chairman Le Hong Vinh said that following the merger, Quang Tri has gained greater development space and new growth potential. The province has identified four key sectors as major growth drivers: energy, agriculture, tourism, and logistics. Against this backdrop, Quang Tri is pursuing development strategies suited to the province’s new circumstances, while proactively preparing land resources, upgrading infrastructure, improving the quality of its workforce, enhancing the investment environment, and strengthening the effectiveness and efficiency of state management, with the aim of creating a more favorable environment for residents and businesses.

With its strategic location at the eastern gateway of the East-West Economic Corridor and its connectivity to major transport routes, Quang Tri is well positioned to expand trade with localities across the region and strengthen links with international markets. Together with its gradually improving human resources and new development opportunities following the merger, the province has significant potential to attract both domestic and international investment.

Alongside its advantages in terms of location, natural resources, and development space, Quang Tri continues to face the enduring consequences of war. The province remains one of the areas most heavily affected by unexploded ordnance (UXO), while contamination and the effects of chemical warfare continue to affect people’s lives, livelihoods, and production activities.

Chairman Le Hong Vinh highly valued the support provided by the U.S. Government, as well as U.S. organizations and partners, to Quang Tri in addressing the consequences of war over the years. He expressed the province’s hope that the United States would continue to support UXO surveys and clearance, mine-risk education, assistance for war victims, and capacity building for the province’s specialized agencies.

In addition to war legacy remediation, Quang Tri seeks to further expand cooperation with the United States in areas with strong potential, including education, healthcare, human resource development, digital transformation, clean energy, climate change response, and smart agriculture. Greater cooperation in these fields is expected to help deepen the Vietnam-U.S. relationship and, in particular, the Quang Tri-U.S. partnership, while delivering practical and sustainable outcomes.

Chairman Le Hong Vinh also called on Ambassador Jennifer Wicks to continue supporting Quang Tri by introducing and connecting U.S. businesses with the province, enabling them to explore investment and cooperation opportunities and thereby contributing to stronger economic linkages and closer trade and investment ties between the two sides.

In response, Ambassador Jennifer Wicks expressed her appreciation for the warm and thoughtful welcome extended by the Quang Tri provincial leadership. She noted that her visit to Quang Tri was among her first trips to a Vietnamese locality since taking up her post in Vietnam. During the visit, the Ambassador said she was impressed by the province’s potential, advantages, and development orientations, expressing hope that the trip would provide further momentum for expanding and deepening cooperation between Quang Tri and U.S. partners.

Ambassador Jennifer Wicks affirmed that the United States would continue contributing to efforts to address the legacies of war in Vietnam, including support for UXO clearance. She emphasized that an important objective of these programs is to help ensure a safe living environment for local communities, particularly children, so that they can live, study, and play without facing risks from unexploded ordnance. The United States also looks forward to further advancing cooperation in trade, security, and defense, while strengthening the sharing of technology and expertise.

The Ambassador also spoke positively of Vietnam’s efforts to reform public administration and improve the effectiveness of governance. With regard to Quang Tri, she expressed interest in the province’s achievements following the merger, particularly efforts to streamline the organizational structure, simplify administrative procedures, and create more favorable conditions for residents and businesses.

During her tenure in Vietnam, Ambassador Jennifer Wicks expressed her desire to maintain and expand cooperation with Quang Tri, with priority given to programs and projects addressing the consequences of war. She also affirmed that the United States stands ready to support Vietnam in implementing the “500-Day-and-Night Campaign” to accelerate the search for, recovery, and identification of the remains of fallen soldiers. In particular, the Ambassador reaffirmed her commitment to promoting trade and investment between Vietnam and the United States, including expanding opportunities for economic cooperation with Quang Tri.

As part of her visit to Quang Tri, on the morning of August 24, Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee Hoang Nam accompanied Ambassador Jennifer Wicks on a visit to the Quang Tri Ancient Citadel. The visit provided an opportunity to learn more about the province’s history, the immense losses caused by war, and local efforts to address its lasting consequences.

On August 26, the delegation continued its program in Dong Le Commune, where they learned about search and identification activities for people missing in action during the war, carried out in the province by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA).

Ambassador Jennifer Wicks’ visit to Quang Tri not only contributed to greater exchanges, mutual understanding, and trust between the province and the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam, but also opened up new opportunities for cooperation across a wide range of areas. The visit is expected to provide an important foundation for both sides to continue advancing practical and effective cooperation programs, contributing to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Vietnam and the United States.

Kim Vui - International Cooperation Division