B: He listened to our program at16:21 UTC on March 1 on the frequency of 9730 khz and rated SINPO all 5s. 

A: Ratan Kumar Paul of India sent us several emails this week reporting on our programs on the frequency of 7220 khz. He said the signal was good, with SINPO all 4s. 

B: Abdul Mannan of Bangladesh, one of our regular listeners, sent a lot of feedback this week for our programs on the frequency of 7220 khz. He said the signal was good and the sound was clear. He asked whether Vietnam is a NATO member.

Vietnamese officers, who will be sent to the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), receive the President's decisions, January 28, 2022. (Photo: VNA)

A: Well, not joining any military alliances is Vietnam’s consistent policy. We pursue a defense policy of Three Nos: no military alliances, no foreign military bases on Vietnamese territory, and no reliance on any country to combat others.

B: But Vietnam does participate in UN peacekeeping missions as it is part of our comprehensive integration into the world.

A: Since 2014 Vietnam has sent officers and soldiers and military medical staff for level-2 field hospitals to UN peacekeeping missions in South Sudan, the Central Africa Republic, and the UN Peace Operation Department at UN headquarters. Vietnam is currently training sappers for future peacekeeping operations at an appropriate time.

Vietnam has sent field hospitals to join international peacekeeping forces in South Sudan for three consecutive years. (Photo: hanoimoi.com.vn)

B: Vietnam’s involvement in UN peacekeeping missions has promoted defense cooperation  with partners and enhanced its international position and prestige.

A: Vietnam’s contributions to UN peacekeeping activities have been acknowledged by the international community, UN organizations, and international NGOs in the host countries. Vietnamese officers have been praised for their professionalism, discipline, dependability, and adaptability. The UN selected Vietnam as the first training center for international peacekeeping activities in Southeast Asia.

B: This week Vietnam, like many other countries, organized activities to mark International Women’s Day on March 8. We’d like to thank our listeners for sending us beautiful greetings.

A: On this occasion, we’d like to introduce to you a prominent Vietnamese woman:  former Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh, who made major contributions to Vietnam’s past struggle for national liberation and to the subsequent process of national construction and defense.

Former Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh

B: Madam Binh was born in 1927 into a family of patriotic tradition. In 1944, at the age of 17, she led a movement of pupils, students, and women and a movement of intellectuals to fight for peace. In 1947 she was admitted to the Indochinese Communist Party, now the Communist Party of Vietnam.

A: She had been appointed to many important posts during her career including Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam (1969-1975) and Minister of Education (1976-1987).

B: Madam Binh was head of the delegation of the National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam and represented the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam to sign the Paris Peace Accords in 1973, which put an end to the American war and restored peace in Vietnam.

1973 Paris Peace Accord was fruit of a just struggle

A: The agreement was the result of the longest and most difficult negotiation in the history of Vietnamese diplomacy, with more than 200 public meetings held over four years, eight months and 14 days.

A: In an article about Madam Binh and her participation in the Paris Peace Accord negotiations, 100peacewomen.org wrote: “The agreement was a great diplomatic victory for the Vietnamese people. It showcased the talent and bravery of Nguyen Thi Binh, whose intelligence, dedication, and patriotism helped make peace and independence possible for millions of Vietnamese.”

The autobiography entitled “Family, Friends, and Country” is a collection of memoirs by Madam Nguyen Thi Binh

B: Madam Binh said, "I cried while signing the Paris Agreement because I thought of my deceased compatriots and comrades who could not know about that important event. It was a great honor in Paris to represent the Vietnamese people and revolutionary soldiers in the direct struggle against invaders and to sign the successful agreement after the Vietnamese people’s 18 years of just war. I thought about my family, my husband and children, my relatives, compatriots and comrades, my international friends, and overseas Vietnamese. My tears flowed again. That was surely the deepest experience in my diplomatic life."

A: From 1992 to 2002, she was Vice President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. In 2003 she established the Vietnam Peace and Development Foundation, for which she still serves as Chairwoman. She is also honorary president of the Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin (VAVA).

B: This week, VOVWorld received more than 430 letters and emails from listeners in 36 countries and territories.

A: Many listeners sent congratulations to the Vietnam Women’s U23 Football team for winning the AFF U23 Championship in Cambodia.

B: Juan Diez of Spain said their victory shows that Vietnam is emerging and is ready to win many more victories.

A: Javier González  Nungaray of Mexico wrote: “This victory is a great success for the Vietnamese people. Vietnam is becoming greater in sports and many other fields. Congratulations!”

B: Noun Sina of Laos wrote: “The victory is of special significance. It shows that you have overcome the difficulties of COVID-19 and reflects the Vietnamese people’s wonderful spirit.”

A: Thank you all for your kind words! They will definitely provide an endless source of inspiration for our “diamond girls’ to move forward.

B: We’d like to acknowledge feedback from Bidhan Chandra Sanyal and Siddhartha Bhattacharjee of India, Vincentiu Daniel, Rasheed Naz, Riaz Ahamad Khan, and other listeners who posted comments on our Facebook fanpage VOV5 English Service.

A: That concludes today’s program. We welcome your feedback at: English Service, VOVWorld, the Voice of Vietnam, 45 Ba Trieu street, Hanoi, Vietnam. Or you can email us at: englishsection@vov.vn. You’re invited to visit us online at vovworld.vn, where you can hear both live and recorded programs.

B: Check out our VOV Media App, available on both the IOS and Android platform to hear our live broadcasts. We look forward to your feedback on the mobile version of vovworld.vn. Once again, thank you all for listening. Goodbye.