The article, written by Vladimir Kashin, a member of the Duma and an Academic from the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, pointed out that Vietnam’s celebrations of its historic victory over French colonialism coincides with Russia’s celebrations of its victory over Fascism (May 9) in Russia.
The article highlighted the Vietnamese people’s heroic tradition, saying that the patriotism of the Vietnamese people and army and their determination to win under the visionary leadership of the Vietnamese Communist Party and the superb tactics used by the country’s military leaders, resulted in the victory at Dien Bien Phu on May 7, 1954.

The article also praised Vietnam’s recent economic achievements, including a GDP growth rate of 8.2 percent in 2008, which is expected to stand at 5-5.5 percent this year despite the impact of the global financial crisis.

Meanwhile, activities marking the 55^th anniversary of Vietnam’s victory at Dien Bien Phu made headlines in all Lao newspapers in the capital of Vientiane on May 7.

Apart from describing the historic event that happened at Dien Bien Phu and Vietnam’s decisive victory that ended the French occupation in 1954, the Lao media underlined the friendship between Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in their past struggles for national liberation and during the current process of national construction and defence.

They also urged young people and future generations to maintain and develop the special friendship biding the three South East Asian countries together.

In the occasion, many central and local agencies in Laos held meetings to celebrate the Dien Bien Phu victory.

At a celebration held in Hanoi on May 7, the Russian and Belarus ambassadors highlighted the connection between the victory over Hitler’s fascists on May 9, 1945 and Vietnam’s victory over the French at Dien Bien Phu on May 7, 1954.

Belarusian Ambassador A. A. Kutselai recalled that many Vietnamese students had voluntarily joined the international army to fight fascism when the former Soviet Union launched a campaign of general mobilisation in 1942.

The diplomat from the former Soviet Union emphasised the key role the Socialist bloc had played in defeating fascist forces in World War II and reviewed the achievements recorded by Vietnam in its two wars of resistance for national salvation.

“We have drawn valuable lessons from the Great Patriotic War (by the former Soviet Union) and the wars in Vietnam to avoid similar disasters in the future,” said the Belarusian ambassador.

Also present at the event, which was co-sponsored by the Vietnam-Russia Friendship Association and the Russian Scientific and Cultural Centre, was Russian Ambassador Vadim Serafimov.

For his part, Maj. Gen. Trinh Quoc Khanh, Vice President of the Vietnam-Russia Friendship Association, said the victory over fascism in World War II had been of great importance to world history and had also made a major contribution to restoring independence in Vietnam, leading to the birth of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam.

“The Dien Bien Phu victory did not only herald the collapse of the French colonial regime in Vietnam but also the collapse of colonialism around the world,” emphasised the military academician.