PRESS RELEASE

December 11, 2006

U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission attends tripartite review meeting for Project G55

(Hanoi) - The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC), Vietnam's Ministry of Public Security (MPS) and the U.S. Embassy Hanoi on December 11, 2006 held a final tripartite review meeting for Project AD/VIE/G55 “Interdiction and Seizure Capacity Building with Special Emphasis on ATS and Precursors.”  The U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission, Jonathan M. Aloisi, representing the U.S. Embassy, Ms. Narumi Yamada, representing UNODC Vietnam, and senior MPS officials attended the meeting.

"I firmly believe this project has benefited the people of Vietnam and the United States," Mr. Aloisi spoke at the ceremony marking the completion of the successful counter-narcotics project, "and I am proud of my country’s involvement, both as the principal funding donor and, by the efforts of the DEA Hanoi Country Office and the Joint Interagency Task Force – West, as primary training resources."

This project was initiated in January 2004.  Through the efforts of UNODC, the Vietnamese government and US funding of $736,800, the project created, trained and equipped drug interdiction task force units in six provinces bordering China, Laos and Cambodia.

"The six drug interdiction task forces organized under this project have significantly advanced Vietnam’s drug enforcement capabilities, and I applaud that progress today.  Tomorrow, the challenge will be not only to continue the success of these task forces, but to build on them," Mr. Aloisi said.

###