Text: Albright Remarks at Remains Repatriation Ceremony
(Albright: Hanoi help on MIAs to forge "deeper" ties)

Vietnam, by fully cooperating with the United States in its efforts to reach a final accounting of American service personnel listed as missing-in-action during the Vietnam War, is helping to forge stronger ties with its one-time foe, said Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

Vietnam, she said, "has paved the way to deeper diplomatic, political and economic ties between our two countries."

Speaking at a Hanoi airport ceremony September 7, where four sets of remains were turned over to U.S. officials, Albright stressed that the issue of America's missing-in-action and unaccounted from the Vietnam War "remains paramount to the United States."

"We hope," she added, "that our assistance is useful to Vietnam as it seeks to account for its own heavy losses. And our thoughts are with all those families -- American and Vietnamese -- who for too many years have borne the burdens of that tragic war."

Following is the text of Albright's statement:

(begin text)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
(Hanoi, Vietnam)

STATEMENT BY
SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE K. ALBRIGHT
FOLLOWING REMAINS REPATRIATION CEREMONY
NOI BAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
HANOI, VIETNAM
September 7, 1999

Good morning. Together with Vietnamese officials, I have just participated in a deeply moving and solemn ceremony: the repatriation of four additional sets of remains to the United States. I want to thank Ambassador Peterson, Brigadier General Axson, Lieutenant Colonel Peppers and all the members of our Joint Task Force who have worked so hard to make this possible.

From here the remains will be flown to a special Army lab in Hawaii, where they will be analyzed and identified. Our hope is to provide some American families with the limited and long-delayed solace that certainty can provide about the fate of their loved ones.

The work of recovering remains is emotionally brutal - - and there is no guarantee of success. But we persevere in this intensive effort because the United States will never forget our fallen, and our missing, and the sacrifice of their families. This is a humanitarian mission we do for America.

I also want to thank the Government and people of Vietnam for all that they have done to help us obtain the fullest possible accounting of Americans still missing or otherwise unaccounted for in Southeast Asia. By cooperating fully in this effort in recent years, Vietnam has paved the way to deeper diplomatic, political and economic ties between our two countries.

Meanwhile, this issue remains paramount to the United States. We hope that our assistance is useful to Vietnam as it seeks to account for its own heavy losses. And our thoughts are with all those families -- American and Vietnamese -- who for too many years have borne the burdens of that tragic war.

America is always proud of its fighting men and women. When they die in battle, no matter how difficult or how long it takes, we will bring them home.

Thank you.

(end text)

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