Viet Nam has received valuable archival materials from France to support the collection, research and exhibition at the Museum of the Communist Party of Viet Nam (CPV).
The handover took place during the official visit to France by General Secretary of the Communist Party of Viet Nam Central Committee and President To Lam, with France represented by the National Overseas Archives under the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, and Viet Nam by the CPV Central Committee's Office.
The materials include a reproduction of the front page of the August 24, 1945 issue of Cuu Quoc (National Salvation) Newspaper, its first publicly printed edition after previously being secretly circulated in handwritten form, featuring the Vietnamese national flag; and documents and reports on Nguyen Ai Quoc's activities related to the establishment and orientation of the Communist Party of Annam.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Deputy Chief of the CPV Central Committee's Office Vo Thanh Hung thanked the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and relevant agencies for preserving and returning the historically significant materials to Viet Nam.
The event was particularly meaningful as it coincided with the 115th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's arrival in France in 1911, he said.
The materials are valuable historical sources reflecting the links between Viet Nam's revolutionary history and progressive movements in France, while underscoring France's special place in President Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary journey.
Hung said the handover will enrich resources for research, archives and exhibitions at the Museum of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, while adding to the shared historical memory of Viet Nam and France.
Viet Nam hopes archival and museum institutions in the two countries will further strengthen exchanges, promote digitalisation and enhance the value of materials related to President Ho Chi Minh, Viet Nam's revolutionary history and Viet Nam-France relations.
For his part, Romain Joulia, Director of the National Overseas Archives, expressed his pleasure at presenting the valuable materials to Viet Nam, stressing the importance of preserving, studying and sharing historical sources to help the public and younger generations gain a better understanding of key periods in the two countries' relations.
The French side spoke highly of Viet Nam's interest in the archives, saying the handover reflects the spirit of cooperation and trust between relevant agencies and opens up further opportunities for cooperation among archival, research and museum institutions of the two countries.
The two sides also expressed their readiness to step up exchanges, particularly in accessing, digitalising and introducing materials related to Viet Nam and Viet Nam-France relations.
