(VOVworld) – With the signing of the Geneva Agreement in 1954, the French government officially recognized the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Vietnam and withdrew its troops from Vietnam.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh talked about the significance of this agreement: “At the Geneva Conference, we did all we could to ensure national interests and to achieve international recognition of our independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. This was the biggest and most important lesson drawn from the 1954 Geneva Conference on a ceasefire in Vietnam. This lesson was applied effectively and contributed greatly to the Paris Conference on Vietnam during the 1968-1973 period.”

The signing of the Geneva Agreement was attributed to Vietnam’s resistance and the clear-sighted leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Vietnamese government. It was the fruit of national unity and international solidarity. Nguyen Ba Bao, a diplomat during the war of resistance against French colonialists said, this is an important lesson for the defense of national sovereignty: “The success was thanks to national unity and international support. We are determined to protect our national independence and sovereignty and I believe the world will support us.”

Colonel Nguyen Thanh Huu from the Ministry of Defense said: “Justice is on our side. Our policy has been flexible with priority given to national interests in order to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”