PRESS RELEASE

April 27, 2006

U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs R. James Nicholson  is visiting Vietnam from April 26-29, 2006.

Secretary of Veterans Affairs R. James Nicholson arrived in Vietnam on April 26 for a three day visit.

The Secretary will spend April 27 in Ho Chi Minh City where he will pay courtesy calls on the HCMC People’s Committee, the Commander of Military Region 7 and Cardinal Pham Minh Man. 

On April 28, Secretary R. James Nicholson will be in Hanoi where he will pay courtesy calls on Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and Minister of Labor, Invalid and Social Affairs Nguyen Thi Hang, and also meet with President of the Veterans Association of Vietnam (VAV), Lt. Gen. (ret) Dang Quan Thuy.  On the same day, Secretary Nicholson will tour the Center for Severely Wounded Veterans (CSWV) in Thuan Thanh, Bac Ninh Province and meet with the staff of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and American veterans in Vietnam.

NOTE TO REPORTERS:  At 5:50 p.m., April 28, the U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs will hold a press conference at the Melia Hanoi Hotel, Function Room 3, 44B Ly Thuong Kiet Street, Hanoi.  To attend, please register with Mr. Thuc Pham, Press Assistant, at 831-4580 or phamtt@state.gov and come to the Melia hotel no later than 5:30 p.m.

The third page contains Secretary R. James Nicholson's biography.

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