The United States has announced that the Hanoi office of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) will be upgraded to the status of a full USAID Mission in 2008.

The upgrade reflects the substantial growth of US development assistance to the Government of Vietnam during the past three years and the expectation that the assistance will continue to grow, said a press release issued by the US Embassy in Hanoi on August 21.

USAID has been working with Vietnam to prevent HIV/AIDS, foster economic growth and reform, curb the spread of avian influenza, develop agriculture, promote environmental sustainability, combat human trafficking, and improve education, health care and employment opportunities for ethnic minorities and people with disabilities.

The amount of assistance provided by USAID’s Hanoi office has grown substantially in recent years, leading to its upgrade to full mission status. In 2003, it provided about US$13 million to assistance programmes.

The projected assistance for 2008 is expected to be around US$70 million. Foreign assistance from all US Government agencies is expected to exceed US$100 million in 2008.