Cheney said that Vietnamese cooperation was improved but still needed much more improvement.

In the interim, it is encouraging to see increasing Vietnamese cooperation to resolve humanitarian problems of serious interest to the American people.

US officials have described Vietnamese cooperation in the hunt as "excellent" but some veterans groups have remained suspicious that Hanoi may still be withholding evidence.

This is an internal American problem and they cannot deny Vietnamese cooperation now," the diplomat said.

An intensive diplomatic effort, with Vietnamese cooperation, has achieved significant progress in all four: * Remains.

Vietnamese cooperation has improved in the last few years, the report said.

Mr. Lord, whose trip to Vietnam was his second in five months, praised the Vietnamese cooperation on the issue of missing Americans as "absolutely superb."

Vietnamese cooperation has helped reduce this number from around 200 in the late 1980's to 55 today.

Vietnamese cooperation has been "significant," the Senator said, "and I think the United States needs to recognize that significance."

The Administration hopes to have Vietnamese cooperation on what are known as "discrepancy cases."