Former Vice President Nguyễn Thị Bình (centre), who led Việt Nam's negotiation team in 1973, pictured with the delegations of the ceremony. — VNA/VNS Photo Lâm Khánh

HÀ NỘI — The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a ceremony in Hà Nội on Tuesday to mark the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in 1973 that led to the end the war and restoring peace in Vietnam.

Politburo members Võ Văn Thưởng, Trần Thanh Mẫn and Nguyễn Trọng Nghĩa all attended the ceremony

A special guest was Nguyễn Thị Bình, former Vice President, Foreign Minister, and Head of the Delegation of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Việt Nam at the Paris Conference.

Also in attendance were current and former leaders of the Party, State and Ministry of Foreign Affairs; family representatives of members of the two negotiating delegations of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam and their families; current and former leaders of foreign affairs agencies participating in the negotiation and implementation of the Paris Peace Accords; international delegates who directly and indirectly helped Việt Nam in the negotiation and signing of the Paris Peace Accords as well as credited historians and experts.

On behalf of the Party and State leaders, Permanent Member of the Central Committee’s Secretariat Võ Văn Thưởng presented flowers to the members of the negotiating team attending the celebration, including Former Vice President Nguyễn Thị Bình; Hà Đăng, former Head of the Central Committee for Culture and Ideology, former Editor-in-Chief of Nhân Dân Newspaper and Communist Magazine, a former member of the negotiating team of the National Front for the Liberation of South Việt Nam; Huỳnh Văn Trình, a former member of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam negotiating team; Phạm Ngạc, former interpreter of the Democratic Republic of Việt Nam's negotiating team.

In his speech, Foreign Minister Bùi Thanh Sơn emphasised that independence, self-reliance and integrity are the inherited values throughout Việt Nam's long history. In addition to the defence of national independence and sovereignty, the Vietnamese always focused on diplomatic activities, creating the tradition and identity of Vietnamese diplomacy with great respect for justice.

"These are the ideas and philosophies that will last forever with the Vietnamese people," said Sơn.

According to Sơn, a long journey that started negotiating for Việt Nam's independence after the August Revolution in 1945 to negotiating and signing the Geneva Agreement in 1954 and culminating in the negotiation and signing of the Paris Peace Accords in 1973 realised the aspirations for peace, national independence, national reunification and prosperous development.

"The Paris Peace Accords signed half a century ago successfully ended the longest and most complicated negotiation in Việt Nam's diplomatic history and ended the longest war in the 20th century," said Minister Sơn.

This victory has strategic significance since it created a great chance to unite the country with the historic Hồ Chí Minh Campaign, ushering in an era of peace, independence, unification and development in Việt Nam.

Sơn added: "Diplomacy has become an offensive front, smoothly combining and ultimately transforming the victory on the political and military fronts into success on the negotiating table, showing brilliant performance. Vietnamese bravery, character and wisdom, imbued with Hồ Chí Minh's thought, style and diplomatic art."

Looking back at the diplomatic struggle that led to the signing of the Paris Agreement is reviewing a heroic journey in the nation's history, spreading and educating the glorious tradition of Vietnamese diplomacy, according to the Vietnamese diplomat.

"Upholding the glorious tradition of Việt Nam's revolutionary diplomacy and the spirit of the Paris Peace Accords, the entire diplomatic branch under the leadership of the Party is determined to build a professional, comprehensive, modern, and close-knit diplomatic service in Việt Nam, contributing to the realisation of the country's aspirations, vision and development goals set out by the 13th Party Congress," said Sơn.

An overview of the International Conference on Việt Nam which took place from February 26 to March 2, 1973. VNA/VNS File Photo

An emotional former Vice President Nguyễn Thị Bình recalled the memories of the process of participating in the negotiation of the Paris Agreement.

She said: "At the end of 1968, I was instructed by the Party to participate in the negotiations in Paris. I am very grateful to the leaders who entrusted me with this great responsibility. For nearly 5 years, I have participated in the negotiations in Paris, fulfilled my duty being one of the four people who signed the Paris Peace Accords.

"The Paris Peace Accords was a decisive victory to liberate the South and unify the country, and the end of nearly 20 years of fierce and arduous war of the whole nation," added Bình, who also expressed gratitude to the soldiers and compatriots who sacrificed themselves for the cause of fighting against the US and saving the country.

Bình also said that the Paris Peace Accords was a victory in Việt Nam's military, political and diplomatic struggle, and at the same time a victory of the world movement to support and unite with Việt Nam.

Hà Đăng, a member of the negotiating team of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Việt Nam, pointed out that the Paris Peace Accords put Bình on the level of former US Secretary of State William P. Rogers. That was also a recognition of the United States of the independence and self-reliance of the Vietnamese nation with the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Việt Nam.

Speaking at the ceremony, Hélène Luc, Honorary Senator, Honorary President of the France-Việt Nam Friendship Association affirmed that, although 50 years had passed since the signing of the Paris Peace Accords, her feelings and joy for Việt Nam were still like in 1973.

Luc recalled: "I still clearly remember Minister Xuân Thủy's face and his historic smile, and the somewhat worried but smiling Lê Đức Thọ. I also clearly remember the beautiful face of Mrs Nguyễn Thị Bình. They have conquered the hearts of the French people with their courage, perseverance and wisdom."

Also at the celebration, the Secretary of the Youth Union of the Diplomatic Academy Nguyễn Đồng Anh, said: "Today's young generation, born and raised in peace, must respect and be proud of our nation's heroic history, the more deeply we are aware of our responsibility, the more we strive to preserve and promote those great revolutionary achievements." — VNS