(VOVworld) – A grand ceremony to mark the 60th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu victory was held in Dien Bien province on May 7th. Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Truong Tan Sang, senior and former leaders of the Party, the state, the National Assembly, the government, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, government representatives of Laos and Cambodia, a delegation of the Mexican Labor Party, and representatives of the diplomatic corps and international organizations in Vietnam together with people from all walks of life and 60 former Dien Bien Phu soldiers attended the event.
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In his address, President Truong Tan Sang reviewed the glorious memories and milestones of the Dien Bien Phu campaign and said that the victory was an important landmark in Vietnam’s history of national construction and defense. President Sang said that the Dien Bien Phu victory showed that a small, less-developed country under the leadership of a Marxist party with wise political and military guidelines plus national unity and international support would defeat all invaders even if they were many times stronger: “The Dien Bien Phu victory is an everlasting epic, which resulted from the nation’s glorious history, the clear-sighted leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President Ho Chi Minh, the strength of national unity, and the strong will to fight for national independence and freedom of the Vietnamese people and army. The victory smashed the will of colonial forces and forced the French government to sign the Geneva Accord to end the war, restore peace, respect the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Vietnam, recognize Laos and Cambodia, and withdraw troops from the 3 Indochinese countries. The Dien Bien Phu victory was one of traditional friendship between the people of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia and a victory of oppressed nations around the world, which signaled the collapse of colonialism.”
President Sang stressed that after nearly 30 years of renewal initiated and led by the Communist Party of Vietnam, Vietnam has gained important achievements. The country has been able to maintain political and social stability and moved out of the less-developed status, people’s living conditions have improved and Vietnam’s regional and global status has increased considerably. However, these achievements have not matched Vietnam’s potential. The party and the entire society need to join hands in the spirit of the Dien Bien Phu victory to enhance internal strength and make the most of international support to overcome challenges and obtain new achievements in the cause of building and protecting the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. President Sang: “We should apply the lessons drawn from the Dien Bien Phu victory to our renewal process. We should continue our foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation, development, multilateralization and diversification, and active and proactive international integration. Vietnam is ready to be a reliable and responsible friend and partner in the international community and we are determined to raise Vietnam’s prestige in the region and the world.”
On behalf of the thousands of war veterans and former young volunteers, Hero of the Armed Forces Colonel Phung Van Khau said it was his honor to have contributed to the Dien Bien Phu victory: “We believe and hope that the younger Vietnamese generations will always be proud, keep in mind and enhance the nation’s traditions and the spirit of the Dien Bien Phu victory. Young people should be daring and creative to obtain major achievements in the cause of building and protecting the homeland.”
The ceremony included a military parade led by the National Emblem carried by 54 young men and women representing the 54 ethnic minority groups in Vietnam.
The National Emblem was placed over a representation of a rising dragon reflecting the desire of the Vietnamese nation to move forward. Different forces of the Vietnam People’s Army, police, people from all walks of life and ethnic minority groups from around the nation took part in the parade.
They marched through the streets of Dien Bien Phu city, past the A1 cemetery, Hill A1, and the Victory Monument.
Earlier, at 6AM, delegations of leaders of the Party, the National Assembly, the State, the Government, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front led by Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and international delegates burned incense to pay tribute to the war martyrs and heroes at the A1 cemetery in Dien Bien Phu city.
Many countries have sent congratulatory messages to the Vietnamese people and their leaders.
In his message to President Truong Tan Sang, Russian President Vladimir Putin said: “I would like to congratulate President Truong Tan Sang on the 60th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory which put an end to the resistance war and liberated Vietnam from colonization. Those days evoked the traditional friendship, mutual support, and fraternity between Vietnam and Russia, which laid the foundation for our two countries to develop a bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership.”
The Laotian Party and government sent a congratulatory message to the Communist Party of Vietnam, National Assembly, government and Fatherland Front, highlighting the significance of the Dien Bien Phu Victory in Vietnam’s history under the leadership of the Vietnamese Communist Party and President Ho Chi Minh. The message said the Dien Bien Phu Victory encouraged peace lovers and oppressed people all over the world at that time to fight for independence, freedom, democracy, and socialism. The Laotian government and people reiterated in the message their determination to stand by Vietnam to further develop the traditional friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, states, and peoples.