The guards of the President Hồ Chí Minh Mausoleum Protection High Command on parade at the mausoleum. — VNA/VNS Photo Thành Đạt

Colonel Đinh Quốc Hùng, Political Commissar of the President Hồ Chí Minh Mausoleum Protection High Command, talks to Vietnam News Agency about the preservation of the late President’s embalmed body.

Successfully preparing the solution and gradually mastering the technology of preserving the embalmed body of President Hồ Chí Minh have been important milestones in more than 50 years of the high command. Can you talk about these outstanding achievements?

After lots of negotiations and a thorough preparation in facilities, equipment and human resources, on June 4, 2003, Việt Nam and Russia signed a minute in co-ordinating in the preparation of a special solution in Việt Nam from the first quarter of 2004.

On March 8, 2004, the high command worked with Russian experts to implement the preparation of the first batch of a special solution, which was then brought to Russia for a compulsory quality check. The solution was then approved to be used in preserving Uncle Hồ’s body during the mausoleum’s repair in 2004.

Following this success, in the next few years, we could make the solution in Việt Nam and did not need to send it to Russia for checks like before. This was an important turning point, affirming the spirit of independence, autonomy, self-reliance and showing the tireless efforts of generations of cadres and health workers of Institute 69 under the high command, who had actively prepared adequate supplies, chemicals, equipment and machines, as well as a workforce for this task.

So far, Institute 69 has successfully prepared a special solution directly used for the long-term preservation of President Hồ Chí Minh's body 15 times.

We have invested in the project of researching and transferring technology to produce special suits in Việt Nam to serve the long-term preservation task and absolutely protect President Hồ Chí Minh's body in lieu of ordering from Russia with the hopes to fully control this technology.

On November 12, 2013, in the presence of the then President Trương Tấn Sang and Russian President Vladimir Putin, we signed a co-operation agreement with Russian partners on technology transfer of the production of special clothes (Project VN01).

In July 2018, under the chair of Deputy Minister of National Defence, Lieutenant General Nguyễn Chí Vịnh, together with partners, we evaluated and concluded on the success of Project VN01 for meeting the technical requirements. The project was then handed to the General Department of Military Industries and Manufacture for management and production. The success of Project VN01 was a breakthrough in technology development.

This was an important milestone marking the great results of the scientific research and application process, affirming that from now on, Việt Nam is capable of firmly and fully mastering the long-term preservation task, protecting the body of President Hồ Chí Minh's body.

How do cadres and staff of the high command view their tasks of protecting the body of President Hồ Chí Minh?

All things related to ensuring the safety and long-term preservation of President Hồ Chí Minh's body come from the political responsibility of each person here. Each officer, employee, worker working for the management board and the high command is carefully selected.

Despite difficulties in many aspects such as science and technology, health, economics, the impact of the surrounding environment, cadres and staff always show a high sense of responsibility and strong political spirit. The sense of political responsibility is not only to the military but also to the Party, the country, the people and all generations of Vietnamese people. From immense love and respect for President Hồ Chí Minh, each of us take great determination and efforts to fulfil the mission for the country and the homeland so that every generation of Vietnamese people can come to visit Uncle Hồ and admire him, to see him as he is still alive with the country.

How have young soldiers implemented the study and practice of President Hồ Chí Minh's ideology, morality and living style?

Following Uncle Hồ's ethics and simplicity is very close to the youth and the young soldiers. Just by having good thoughts and good actions in life already means following Uncle Hồ’s ethics. These actions manifest in daily life such as the fact that soldiers gave up food and accommodation in their barracks to the people quarantined during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many officials and soldiers who have never taken care of the sick people are helping those in quarantine areas. Many young people volunteered to go to the border and remote areas to help stop people illegally entering the country or protecting the quarantine areas. These things stem from devotion, dedication, a sense of responsibility to the community.

As for the youth of the Mausoleum Protection High Command, we have specified the contents of the campaign on studying and following President Hồ Chí Minh's ideology, morality and living style. For example, the guarding division does well in safety and protection; the scientific and technical research forces have performed well the tasks of ensuring the best technology for the mausoleum. Each officer and soldier is always associated with the implementation of Uncle Hồ's teachings in their work. — VNS