Paris Peace Accords - Historical evidence for Vietnam’s peaceful aspirations

In his opening remarks, Nguyen Xuan Thang, director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics and chairman of the Central Theoretical Council, noted the Paris Peace Accords was a combination of military, political and diplomatic victories, forcing the US to end the war and withdraw all troops, and culminating in final victory in 1975.

“The Paris Peace Accords created the conditions for Vietnam to establish diplomatic relations with other countries, and garner international support in the struggle for peace, justice and national reunification,” said Thang.

“This is an important foundation for Vietnam to carry out the Doi Moi (Renewal) process, break the siege and embargo, resume foreign relations, and open a new era of economic integration into the region and the wider world, contributing to enhancing the country’s position and prestige in the international arena,” he went on to say.

According to the official, half a century has passed, and lessons the Paris Peace Accords has offered remain fresh. That is a lesson in promoting the synergy of politics - economy, defense - security and diplomacy to protect the Fatherland from afar, and in closely coordinating between diplomatic struggle and political-military struggle, taking military and political victories as the basis for carrying out a diplomatic offensive, strengthening international solidarity, and isolating the enemy.

That is a lesson in deeply grasping President Ho Chi Minh’s ideology of ‘keeping calm is to cope with multi-unexpected changes’. It is also a profound lesson about combining national strength with the strength of the times, and about strengthening the leadership of the Party in the whole process of struggle on the diplomatic front.

“During the process of comprehensive and extensive international integration, we need to strengthen and maintain the Party’s leadership in foreign affairs and diplomatic activities in order to successfully and consistently implement our foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, as well as diversification and multilateralization of foreign relations, to ensure Vietnam is a friend, a reliable partner and an active and responsible member of the international community,” stressed Thang.

Minister of Foreign Affair Bui Thanh Son took the floor, emphasizing the Paris Peace Accords is a living historical proof of the Vietnamese nation’s aspiration for peace and its tradition of amicable diplomacy. The valuable lessons from this historic negotiation remain fresh and need to be effectively applied in implementing the foreign policy of the 13th National Party Congress.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is scheduled to hold a grand meeting in Hanoi on January 17 to mark 50 years of the signing of the Paris Peace Accords.