Documentary exhibition on the life and career of President Ho Chi Minh in Belgium

In Brussels, this event is part of activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Belgium and the 133rd birthday of President Ho Chi Minh, organized by the Vietnamese Embassy in Belgium in coordination with the President Ho Chi Minh Relic Site at the Presidential Palace.

The event was attended by many international friends including Ambassadors of ASEAN countries in Brussels, Ambassadors of China and Cuba, representatives of the Belgian Labour Party (PTB), the European Union (EU), the Belgium-Vietnam Friendship Association and overseas Vietnamese in Belgium.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium, Head of the Vietnamese Delegation to the European Union (EU), Nguyen Van Thao emphasized that President Ho Chi Minh was an outstanding hero of the Vietnamese people, who devoted his whole life to the cause of national liberation, bringing independence and freedom to the Vietnamese people. The Ambassador reviewed important milestones in President Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary life, from the time he traveled to find a way to save the country in 1911 until September 2, 1945 at Ba Dinh Square, Hanoi, when he read the Declaration of Independence, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam). Ambassador Nguyen Van Thao affirmed that the life and great revolutionary career of President Ho Chi Minh is an epic, a shining example of patriotism, a great source of encouragement for the entire Vietnamese people.

In his opening remarks at the exhibition, Mr. Nguyen Van Duong, Deputy Director of the President Ho Chi Minh Relic Site at the Presidential Palace, emphasized that in 1932, the international press first published the biography of Nguyen Ai Quoc. Although it was not yet complete and accurate, it made Europe and Asia aware of the name and image of a famous revolutionary leader of Vietnam and the world. After returning to Vietnam, President Ho Chi Minh led the Vietnamese people to gain independence, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, and continued to lead the Vietnamese people in the struggle for national liberation, building the country, and wholeheartedly building and developing friendly and cooperative relations between countries, fostering friendship between the Vietnamese people and people of countries around the world and Europe.

With his intelligence, talent and outstanding contributions to the Vietnamese people and to the progress of humanity, in 1987, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) honored President Ho Chi Minh as "Hero of Vietnamese National Liberation, Outstanding Cultural Man".

The exhibition introduces 200 documentary photos and documents, divided into 5 parts: Part 1: From the patriotic young man Nguyen Tat Thanh to the soldier Nguyen Ai Quoc in the movement to liberate the colonial peoples and gain independence for Vietnam (1890 - 1929); Part 2: Leader Nguyen Ai Quoc founded the Communist Party of Vietnam and led the people to carry out a successful national uprising, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (1930 - 1945); Part 3: President Ho Chi Minh led the construction and protection of the young people's democratic state, carried out a long-term resistance war against colonial invaders and won victory (1946 - 1954); Part 4: President Ho Chi Minh led the construction and protection of the North, supported the South, and fought for national reunification (1955-1969); Part Five: The symbol of Ho Chi Minh in the hearts of the world's people (from 1969 to present).

In this exhibition, there are documents published for the first time, thereby contributing to clarifying the life and glorious revolutionary career of President Ho Chi Minh, contributing to honoring and recognizing his great contributions to the revolutionary cause of the Vietnamese people and building solidarity and friendship between the Vietnamese people and the people of the world. At the same time, the exhibition also contributes to further propagating and promoting the life and revolutionary career of President Ho Chi Minh to overseas Vietnamese in Belgium, the Belgian people and international friends to understand more fully about the life and revolutionary career of Ho Chi Minh. This contributes to further consolidating and strengthening the solidarity, friendship and cooperation between the two peoples of Vietnam and the Kingdom of Belgium.

Mr. Bert De Belder, Head of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Belgian Workers' Party (PTB), said he was very impressed with this exhibition. This is a good opportunity for the young generation in Belgium, in Europe, especially in Western Europe, to better understand the life of President Ho Chi Minh.

Cuban Ambassador to Belgium, Yaira Jimenez Roig, expressed her joy at attending the exhibition on the life and career of President Ho Chi Minh. The Ambassador emphasized that Cuba and Vietnam are two brotherly nations, always close and united. The two countries have had a close relationship for many decades and always support and help each other. More than ever, the political thoughts of President Ho Chi Minh and President Fidel Castro are inexhaustible sources of knowledge for progressive and revolutionary movements around the world.

On this occasion, Mr. Coeckelberghs Ralph, a member of the Vietnam-Belgium Friendship Association, presented the book "Ho Chi Minh, his life and career" to the representative of the Ho Chi Minh Relic Site at the Presidential Palace. This book was published in French in 1970, a collection of articles and interviews about Uncle Ho that Mr. Coeckelberghs Ralph has kept for over 50 years.

Within the framework of the exhibition, on the afternoon of April 15, a discussion about President Ho Chi Minh was held with the speaker being French historian Alain Russio. He shared his research on Uncle Ho as well as his thoughts and feelings for the outstanding leader of Vietnam.

Historian Alain Russio said his relationship with Vietnam began in his youth when he joined the movement to protest the war in Vietnam. President Ho Chi Minh was an outstanding leader, unlike other leaders or heads of state that he admired. President Ho Chi Minh's political theories are still relevant today. His life showed that he was a simple and decisive person and he admired him very much. Referring to the development of Vietnam, Mr. Russio said that Vietnam has successfully integrated into globalization, quickly brought the country out of poverty and is a model of spectacular economic growth in the world.

Attending the talk by historian Alain Russio, Dior-Sofia Ndiaye, a 12th grade student in Belgium, said she was participating in a research project on President Ho Chi Minh because she was impressed by his life and revolutionary career. The leader of the Vietnamese people is famous throughout the world and is a symbol for peace-loving people.

Tran Duc Huy, a Vietnamese graduate student in Belgium, was impressed by the interest in Uncle Ho of Belgian youth as well as foreign guests. He said that foreign speakers gave new perspectives on Uncle Ho as well as shared very deeply about him, making Vietnamese people even more proud of their beloved leader.

President Ho Chi Minh devoted his entire life to the revolutionary cause of our Party, our nation, our people and for peace and social progress in the world. He lived a glorious life, full of hardships and sacrifices, extremely noble and rich, extremely pure and beautiful. The life and great revolutionary cause of President Ho Chi Minh will forever be a shining example for generations of Vietnamese people to learn and follow.

According to VNA