Palestine’s Ambassador to Vietnam Saadi Salama (photo: Nguyen Cuc/VNA)

Ambassador Salama speaks Vietnamese fluently and has a deep understanding of Vietnam.

“I never thought that I would come to Vietnam. But fate brought me to Vietnam to study and find out why a nation, although small, has recorded a glorious history and successes in national construction and defense. From my first days in Vietnam, I took notes of all events, celebrations, and my experiences in Vietnam. I have never felt like a foreigner in Vietnam. I behave, work, think like a native, like a Hanoian,” said Salama.

Saadi Salama was born in 1961 in Hebron province in Palestine. When he was 19, he studied at the Hanoi National University. After graduating, he worked for Palestinian diplomatic offices in Vietnam, Laos, Yemen, and Ghana. From 2009 until now he has been the Palestinian Ambassador to Vietnam. Salama says he always sees Vietnam as his second homeland. He wants to share his love for Vietnam with international friends.              

“I’m translating my book “My Vietnam story” into English, so more foreigners can know Vietnam through the eyes of an Ambassador who loves Vietnam very much. I intend to rewrite my book in Arabic. One of the things I want to do is play a small part in promoting cultural exchange and the translation of Vietnamese books.”

On the last page of his book, Saadi wrote: “Life changes, but there is one thing that will never change: my heart belongs to Vietnam.”

Poet Nguyen Quang Thieu, President of the Vietnam Writers' Association, wrote in the book's preface: “His feelings about the Vietnamese land and people have made the Vietnamese see new beauties in their culture. He writes from the perspective of another culture, another region, and another religion to make Vietnam appear in a new light.”