Gratitude to international friends: 80 years you have been with us

On September 2 in Hanoi, the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations chaired and coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant agencies to organize the "Meeting to pay tribute to international friends on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam". Mr. Do Van Chien, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front attended and spoke at the Meeting.

Attending the meeting were Mr. Le Hoai Trung, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Phan Anh Son, President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations; leaders of departments, ministries, branches, socio-political organizations and mass organizations assigned by the Party and State; a number of member organizations of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations and more than 100 international delegates who are individuals and organizations with many contributions to the cause of fighting for national independence, national reunification and the cause of building and defending the Fatherland of Vietnam.

Mr. Do Van Chien (front row, sixth from right), Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, met and expressed gratitude to international friends. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam always live in my heart.

At the event, international delegates expressed their respect for President Ho Chi Minh and the Vietnamese people; shared memories during their time working and supporting the Vietnamese people in the two struggles for national independence and the cause of protecting, building and developing the country; and affirmed the great significance of the August Revolution and National Day September 2 to the national liberation movement for peace and justice in the world.

Mr. Nikolai Kolesnik, Chairman of the Russian Veterans Association, spoke at the meeting. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

Having fought side by side with the Vietnamese army and people to shoot down 4 enemy aircraft from the battlefield in Gia Son commune, Gia Vien district, Ninh Binh province (formerly), Mr. Nikolai Kolesnik, Chairman of the Russian Veterans Association, affirmed that the Russian people always sympathize with the pain of humanity, are ready to help and stand with the peoples who have suffered many losses. He recalled the 60th anniversary of the first Soviet missile military expert group coming to Vietnam, directly training in the flames of war, contributing to the birth of the Heroic Air Defense Missile Troops and establishing the decisive victory in December 1972.

According to him, the Soviet Union's support helped Vietnam stand firm, ending the period of "freedom of the sky" of the US Air Force, moving towards complete victory. "When helping Vietnam fight back against the destructive war with the air force, we completed our combat mission with the firm belief that it was a noble and just cause. Thanks to the Soviet Union's help, Vietnam stood firm and won - the war ended. By supporting Vietnam, we carried out a mission of peace, contributing to an early end to the war," he said.

Mrs. Elisabeth Helfer Aubrac, goddaughter of President Ho Chi Minh, emotionally recounted the story of her family's deep attachment to Vietnam. She said: "On August 15, 1946, when President Ho Chi Minh held me in his arms and agreed to be godfather to me - the newborn daughter of his friends Raymond and Lucie Aubrac - he also connected our family to the wonderful history of Vietnam. A history of courage, the desire for freedom and human dignity."

According to Mrs. Elisabeth Helfer Aubrac, in the summer of 1946, when President Ho Chi Minh went to Paris to find a way to gain independence through peaceful negotiations. It was here that he met her father - Mr. Raymond Aubrac, a Republican Commissioner who had helped Indochinese workers in Marseille. From the harmony in ideals and personalities, a friendship was formed between President Ho Chi Minh and the Aubrac family, and he became a close guest in their house in the suburbs of Paris.

Mrs. Elisabeth recalled simple but warm memories: Uncle Ho reading the newspaper in the garden in the morning, receiving guests in the afternoon, returning to Fontainebleau for meetings in the evening; intimate meals with simple rice and vegetables; conversations between Uncle Ho and her grandmother about the life of a farmer. "Every year, no matter how difficult it was, he always found a way to send me a sign of care and love," she said emotionally.

Ms. Elisabeth Helfer Aubrac presented the Vietnamese side with a 78-track vinyl recording of two historic songs from the early 1950s. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

She also recalled the last time her father met Uncle Ho in 1967, during secret negotiations to end the bombing of the North. At that time, she gave her godfather a stone egg symbolizing the bright future of Vietnam. In return, he sent her a piece of silk to make a wedding dress - a keepsake that she still treasures as a priceless treasure.

"My father and my beloved godfather are no longer here. But our children and grandchildren continue to be attached to Vietnam," she said, talking about her husband - who has spent more than 40 years teaching Vietnamese students in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City; and about the home in France that always welcomes Vietnamese students as family members.

At the meeting, Ms. Elisabeth Aubrac expressed her wish to send Vietnam a gift that she had just found in her father's storage cabinet: a 78-round vinyl recording of two historical songs from the early 1950s - "A Song of Respect for President Ho Chi Minh" and "March of Youth to the Frontline". "The disc was too old, some friends who work as music technicians helped clean and record it so that I could quickly send it to you," she shared.

Mr. Víctor Fidel Gaute Lopez, Vice President of the Cuban Institute for Friendship with Peoples (ICAP), affirmed that the victory of the August Revolution in 1945 not only gave birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam but also strongly inspired the national liberation movement in the world. According to him, the valuable lesson from that event is the strength of solidarity, wise leadership and the ability to seize historical opportunities.

Mr. Víctor Fidel Gaute Lopez, Vice President of the Cuban Institute for Friendship with Peoples, spoke at the meeting. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

He emphasized: "We Cubans respond to the solidarity that Vietnam has shown us with deep gratitude, respect and admiration for your people (...) Ho Chi Minh lives forever in the hearts of Cubans through his career, ideology and history of his increasingly beautiful Fatherland."

He said that the establishment of the Ho Chi Minh Department at the University of Havana and the University of the Communist Party of Cuba is a vivid demonstration of the special friendship between the two peoples. In 2025, when Vietnam and Cuba celebrate many important historical milestones, the two countries declared 2025 as the "Vietnam - Cuba Friendship Year", further deepening the steadfast bond. He affirmed that ICAP will continue to make efforts to further strengthen the solidarity and friendship between the two Parties, Governments and Peoples.

Friendship lives forever

Speaking at the meeting, Politburo member, Party Central Committee Secretary, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Do Van Chien expressed his deep gratitude to international friends for their support and contributions to the cause of national liberation, national reunification, construction and protection of the Vietnamese Fatherland. He affirmed that in every revolutionary period, the Party, State and people of Vietnam always respect and appreciate the deep affection and valuable support of international friends and people.

Mr. Do Van Chien, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, spoke at the meeting. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

Reviewing the support of the world's people for Vietnam, President Do Van Chien emphasized that the hearts and feelings of people all over the world have given great strength to the Vietnamese people. Especially, during the period of national reconstruction, international friends helped build many projects, factories, schools, hospitals, etc., making positive contributions to the development of Vietnam. Among them, there were people who had been on the "other side of the battle line" who also overcame their inferiority complex and contributed their efforts to work with the Vietnamese people to reconcile the war and build a new life.

He shared that Vietnam is striving to become a developing country with modern industry and high average income by 2030, and a developed country with high income by 2045. The entire Party, people and army of Vietnam are striving for three major goals: maintaining independence, sovereignty, autonomy and territorial integrity; developing the economy and society rapidly and sustainably, building a rich and prosperous country; and constantly improving the material and spiritual life of the people. To achieve these goals, the Party, State and people of Vietnam hope to continue to receive more attention, support and enthusiastic and effective assistance from international friends in all fields.

Mr. Do Van Chien, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, awarded the Friendship Medal to three organizations and individuals: Mr. Alisher Rustamovich Mukhamedov, Chairman of the Uzbekistan - Vietnam Friendship Association; Ms. Kathleen S. Magee, President and CEO of Operation Smile (USA) and Nam Khe Son Hospital (China). (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

Affirming that the history of building and defending the country of the Vietnamese people is an immortal heroic epic written with the iron will, the spirit of great solidarity and the sacrifice of the entire people, Mr. Do Van Chien borrowed two poetic lines: "Even though the river dries up, the mountain wears away, the friendship will always be together", emphasizing the loyal and steadfast affection with international friends.

Mr. Phan Anh Son, Chairman of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations, said that Vietnamese people's organizations will continue to promote and nurture solidarity between the Vietnamese people and the people of the world, forever being a great source of strength, contributing to creating new miracles in the new era, the era of the Vietnamese people's rise.

Mr. Phan Anh Son, President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations, spoke at the meeting. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

On this occasion, Politburo member, Party Central Committee Secretary, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Do Van Chien awarded the Friendship Medal and Certificate of Merit from the Prime Minister to organizations and individuals in recognition of the support and positive contributions of international friends to Vietnam.

Source: https://thoidai.com.vn/tri-an-ban-be-quoc-te-80-nam-cac-ban-da-o-ben-chung-toi-216038.html