Archival footage of President Ho Chi Minh in Hungary presented to agencies

Rare archival footage documenting President Ho Chi Minh’s visit to Hungary has been presented to the Party Central Committee Office, Vietnam Television (VTV), Voice of Vietnam (VOV), Vietnam News Agency (VNA), and the Ho Chi Minh Museum at a ceremony held by the Ministry of Public Security in Hanoi on August 21.

Addressing the event, Deputy Minister of Public Security Le Quoc Hung emphasised that collecting documents, artefacts and images reflecting President Ho Chi Minh’s life and revolutionary career is not only an expression of gratitude and respect for his enormous contributions to the revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation, but also a practical activity to implement the Party’s policy of promoting the study and following of his ideology, ethics and lifestyle.

Over the years, the Central Public Security Party Committee and the Ministry of Public Security have directed the entire People’s Public Security force to actively search for and collect documents, artefacts and images about the late leader, particularly materials preserved abroad, in line with the Party’s guidelines.

The archival footage presented on this occasion captures part of President Ho Chi Minh’s official visit to Hungary from August 1-5, 1957, as part of a series of historic visits by the leader and a high-ranking delegation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam) to nine socialist countries in Eastern Europe and Asia following the Dien Bien Phu Victory and the 1954 Geneva Accords.

According to the deputy minister, the footage vividly reflects President Ho Chi Minh’s stature as a brilliant leader and outstanding diplomat, while also showing his simple, approachable manner and sincere affection for the Hungarian people.

The archival material also offers valuable lessons in diplomatic art, including the close combination of the strength of the times and international support and assistance with the revolutionary cause of the Party and the Vietnamese nation.

Hung expressed his hope that the Party Central Committee Office, VTV, VOV, VNA and the Ho Chi Minh Museum will effectively exploit and utilise the archival footage and widely disseminate it among Vietnamese people at home and abroad, as well as international friends, thereby helping showcase and honour President Ho Chi Minh’s intellect, virtues, character and noble ideals while educating younger generations about patriotism and their responsibility serving the Fatherland and the people.

The deputy minister also called on the agencies to continue working closely with the Ministry of Public Security to publicise and spread the outcomes of the implementation of Politburo Directive No. 05 on promoting the study and following of President Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, ethics and lifestyle, in association with the emulation movement The Three Best – Most Disciplined, Most Loyal and Closest to the People within the People’s Public Security force.