VietNamNet Bridge – Viet Nam needs international help in clearing land mines left over from the war, said deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Sinh Hung.

He made the comments at a meeting with Stephan Husy, director of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian De-mining (GICHD) in Ha Noi yesterday, Nov 18.

Hung said he appreciated the role of the centre in supporting many war-ravaged countries deal with the aftermath of wars, including Viet Nam.

However, the country needed more support in dealing with land mines and unexploded ordinance, a task that required enormous financial, human and technical resources.

More than 6 million hectares of the country are still plagued with buried mines and shrapnel, posing a serious health threat and undermining agricultural production.

The war ended 35 years ago and the Vietnamese Government was doing its best to alleviate the scars of the conflict, including work on clearing mines detection and coping with the consequences of the toxic defoliant Agent Orange, said Hung, adding that he hoped the centre would continue its work in the country to help local people improve their lives.

Husy said he appreciated the country's efforts and experience in detecting and defusing mines during the past 30 years.

He also praised close inter-ministerial co-operation during work in the area as well as the integration of mining detection into socio-economic development of localities.

"It is a good approach to attract international attention to the issue," he said.

Long-term objectives of mining clearing is to help the sustainable development of local communities while ensuring the people have access to arable land and infrastructure to stabilise their lives.

He confirmed the organisation's determination to support the country in alleviating the consequences of war.

VietNamNet/VOV