Groundbreaking ceremony of the project "Mine Action for Vietnam - Korea Peace Village"

View of the ceremony

 Attending the ceremony were comrades: Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien - Member of the Party Central Committee, Deputy Minister of National Defense, Head of the Standing Committee of the National Steering Committee to overcome the consequences of land mines and toxic chemicals after the war in Vietnam;  Senior Lieutenant General Phung Sy Tan - Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, Deputy Head of the Standing Committee of the National Steering Committee to overcome the consequences of land mines and toxic chemicals after the war in Vietnam; Major General Tran Trung Hoa - Commander of the Army Corps of Engineers, General Director of the Vietnam National Mine Action Center (VNMAC).

 On the side of Binh Dinh province, there was comrade Nguyen Tu Cong Hoang - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee.

 On the part of international agencies, there are: Mr. Lee Byung Hwa - Director of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in Vietnam; Ms. Ramla Khalidi - Chief Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Vietnam

 Delegates attended the groundbreaking ceremony

 The KVPVP project is funded by the Korean Government through KOICA in Vietnam with technical support and advice from UNDP in Vietnam. The project has a total capital of more than 14 million USD.

 The project will be implemented from May 2024 to December 2026 in three provinces of Thua Thien - Hue, Quang Ngai and Binh Dinh with the goal of overcoming post-war bomb and mine consequences and strengthening the protection of people  in project areas, contributing to promoting local socio-economic development to serve the building of harmonious, safe, prosperous and resilient rural communities capable of responding to climate change  in Viet Nam.

 The Government and the Ministry of National Defense have assigned VNMAC to be the project owner, responsible for coordinating military engineering units to conduct surveys and clear mines and coordinate with the authorities of the three provinces to deploy education prevent mine accidents for people in project implementation districts.

 Mr. Lee Byung Hwa - Director of KOICA in Vietnam spoke at the ceremony.

 Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Lee Byung Hwa - Director of KOICA in Vietnam said: The KVPVP project is KOICA's largest project in the field of mine action. This project demonstrates the important role mine action plays in promoting local socio-economic development and building harmonious, safe, resilient and prosperous rural communities in Vietnam. KOICA's regional strategy is titled “Mekong Peace Village Development Program.”

 Director of KOICA in Vietnam believes: “Together, we can create a better future for future generations.”

 Ms. Ramla Khalidi - UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam spoke at the ceremony.

 Ms. Ramla Khalidi - UNDP Resident Representative in Vietnam emphasized: In this new period, we are expanding our focus to make a more meaningful contribution to sustainable rural development for affected communities, in addition to survey and clearance activities. To do so, we are adding new initiatives such as: supporting the construction of climate change-adapted houses for vulnerable households, and building appropriate commune health stations, more responsive to harsh weather, supporting smart agricultural activities to adapt to climate change in areas where survey and clearance activities take place. With this approach, Vietnam is offering a comprehensive approach to mine clearance. In addition to land cleanup, governments at all levels along with international partners support development and help landmine victims and their communities.

 Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Tu Cong Hoang spoke at the ceremony.

 Speaking at the ceremony, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Tu Cong Hoang said: According to the report on the current status and contamination of land mines and post-war explosives in Vietnam in 2018, in Binh Dinh province there were  159 communes, wards and towns in 11 districts, towns and cities are contaminated with mines and explosives with a total area of ​​nearly 250,000 hectares, accounting for more than 40% of the province's natural area.  Through the implementation of the Vietnam - Korea Cooperation project to overcome the consequences of post-war bombs and mines, Binh Dinh province has coordinated with the Project Management Board to conduct a technical survey of 10,700 hectares, of which nearly 10,700 hectares have been identified  4,800 hectares of land are contaminated with mines and mines and more than 4,200 hectares have been cleared and liberated, nearly 68,000 mines and explosives of all kinds have been collected and destroyed to ensure safety.

Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Tu Cong Hoang thanked the leaders of the Ministry of National Defense, VNMAC, leaders of KOICA and UNDP in Vietnam for supporting Binh Dinh province in completing the phase 1 project and continuing to implement the project.  phase 2 in the province; At the same time, we hope to continue to receive coordination and support from ministries and central branches, and the cooperation and companionship of domestic and foreign organizations in overcoming the consequences of mines and bombs in the province.  . 

 Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Tu Cong Hoang believes that the KVPVP project will continue to bring many practical results, creating conditions for people to work and produce with peace of mind, contributing to local socio-economic development as well as raise awareness for community people on how to prevent mine accidents.  At the same time, support landmine victims to integrate into the community early, reducing the burden on their families and society.

 On the side of Binh Dinh province, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Tu Cong Hoang requested relevant departments, branches, and localities of the province to coordinate closely with relevant agencies, units and donors in  Organize implementation so that the KVPVP project is implemented effectively, meeting the set requirements, especially in terms of progress, quality and set goals according to the approved project documents.  

 Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien spoke at the ceremony.

 In order for the KVPVP project to be completed on schedule and ensure quality, Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien requested VNMAC to continue to coordinate closely with KOICA in Vietnam and UNDP in Vietnam, specifically the Project Management Board with the highest responsibility, focusing on managing the effective implementation of project activities, ensuring the project is completed on schedule, absolutely safe for people and the environment during project implementation, especially safety of mines and explosives.

 Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien also requested the Ministry of National Defense - the Standing Committee of the National Steering Committee to overcome the consequences of land mines and toxic chemicals after the war; The authorities and people of the three provinces of Binh Dinh, Quang Ngai and Thua Thien Hue support and create conditions to help in all aspects so that the forces participating in the project can successfully complete their assigned tasks./.

 Delegates performed the ceremony of pressing the button to issue the order to start construction of the KVPVP project

 Delegates visited the display area of ​​tools serving the work of clearing bombs, mines and explosives.

 Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien (2nd, right) discusses the content of the KVPVP project with foreign partners.