Delegation of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Visits and Works at the DNA Identification Center

19/06/2026

On the afternoon of May 27, 2026, at the DNA Identification Center (CDI), Institute of Biology, the delegation of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, together with representatives of the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam and the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), held a working session with Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) to discuss the results of cooperation in the field of DNA identification of martyrs' remains and orientations for support in the coming time.

Attending the working session, on VAST side were Prof. Acad. Le Truong Giang – Vice President of VAST; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phi Quyet Tien – Director of the Institute of Biology; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Trung Nam – Deputy Director of the Institute of Biology; Dr. Hoang Quoc Nam – Deputy Head of the Department of Training and International Cooperation, together with staff of CDI. On the U.S. side were Ms. Bessie Chen, Senior Professional Staff Member, U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee; Ms. Marialice Ariens, Senior Foreign Assistance Officer, U.S. Embassy in Hanoi; Mr. Pierce Davis, Political Counselor, U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, together with representatives of ICMP.

At the working session, Prof. Acad. Le Truong Giang said that VAST is the focal agency leading the ODA Project “Enhancing the capacity for identification of martyrs' remains through development cooperation, technology transfer, and the receipt of equipment, chemicals, and consumables,” implemented from 2024 to 2027. After more than two years of cooperation with ICMP and international partners, Vietnamese scientists have mastered the NGS-SNP next-generation sequencing technology process, achieving a successful identification rate of 81–93%, significantly higher than previous traditional methods. In 2025, the DNA Identification Center successfully delivered identification results to two martyrs' families at Tra Linh Cemetery, marking a significant step forward in the work of martyrs' remains identification.

Prof. Acad. Le Truong Giang speaking at the working session

At the working session, the delegation of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee listened to an overview report on the project's implementation, toured the laboratory system, and directly learned about the research and identification capabilities of the DNA Identification Center.

Highly appreciating the achieved results, Ms. Bessie Chen said that the U.S. side wishes to continue supporting Vietnam in addressing the consequences of the war, especially the work of searching for and identifying martyrs who have not yet been identified. According to her, this visit helps the delegation gain an intuitive view of the cooperation achievements between the two countries in the humanitarian field, thereby providing additional practical basis for research, policy analysis, and advisory activities for U.S. Senators. Ms. Bessie Chen also expressed her impression of the goals and determination of the Vietnamese Government as well as VAST in promoting DNA identification work and expanding the scale of identification of martyrs' remains. The achieved results demonstrate the great potential of the program and provide a basis for relevant U.S. agencies to continue considering and orienting future support activities.

Ms. Bessie Chen speaking at the working session

The two sides agreed to continue exchanges, strengthen scientific and technical cooperation, and at the same time promote support programs to enhance the capacity for DNA identification in Vietnam. The working session contributed to consolidating the cooperative relationship between Vietnam and the United States in the field of science and technology, while affirming the profound humanitarian significance of joint efforts in searching for and identifying martyrs' remains lacking information.