During her August 2021 visit to Vietnam, Vice President Kamala Harris affirmed the importance of U.S. and Vietnamese efforts to ensure space activities are conducted in a responsible and sustainable manner. As part of those joint efforts, U.S. and Vietnamese officials met virtually March 22-24 for the third U.S.-Vietnam Civil Space Dialogue.
The discussion focused on cooperation in space-based Earth observation. Participants discussed the SERVIR-Mekong project (https://servir.adpc.net/ ), a partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which helps countries use satellite data to address challenges in food security, natural resource management, climate, air quality, and natural disasters. Participants also discussed the use of geospatial technologies to assist with disaster management, earth science, and civil maritime domain awareness. This civil space dialogue reaffirms the depth of cooperation and strength of relations under the U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership.
The United States delegation, led by Ambassador Marc Knapper of the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi, included representatives from the Department of State, NASA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. The Vietnamese delegation, led by Dao Ngoc Chien, Deputy Director-General of the Department of High Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) for Vietnam, included representatives from MOST, the Ministry of Justice, the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST), the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (MONRE), the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC), the Ministry of Planning and Investment, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA), the Ministry of Defense, Vietnamese universities, and the Vietnam National Space Center (VNSC).
