Hanoi (VNA) - A series of activities held by Vietnamese communities in manycountries across the world to celebrate the 128th birthday of late President HoChi Minh (May 19).
The Vietnamese Embassy in Laos, theVietnamese Association in Vientiane, the Vietnam Business Association incollaboration with Thailand’s Udonthani provincial authorities organised anincense offering to the late leader at his memorial site in Udonthani, wherePresident Ho Chi Minh, with alias "Thau Chin", worked and built a revolutionarybase in 1928- 1929.
Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Ba Hung recalled great contributions made byPresident Ho Chi Minh to the national independence and freedom, and happinessof the people.
Governor of Udonthani province WathanaPhutthichat expressed his honour to attend the event, affirming that thememorial site is not only to commemorate President Ho Chi Minh, but also helpsenhance the friendship between Vietnam and Thailand.
In Cuba, the Vietnamese Embassy and the Cuban Institute of Friendship with thePeoples (ICAP) laid flowers in tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his monumentin Havana capital on the same day.
ICAP President and Fernando Gonzalez Llort, and head of the Cuban NationalAssembly’s External Relations Commission and President of the Cuba-VietnamFriendship Association Yolanda Ferrer attended the event.
Also onthe occasion, the Vietnamese Consulate General in Hong Kong, China, held a tourof relic sites related to activities of President Ho Chi Minh when he wasstaying in Hong Kong.
Staffmembers of the Consulate General, representatives from other Vietnamese officesand overseas Vietnamese in Hong Kong participated in this meaningful activity.
Vietnamese Consul General Tran Thanh Huan said he hopes through the activity,participants have an opportunity to learn more about the life and revolutionarycareer of President Ho Chi Minh when he was in Hong Kong.
Meanwhile in Japan, authorities of Mimasaka city, Okayama prefecture, in collaborationwith the Vietnamese Consulate General in Osaka hosted a ceremony to mark the128th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh.
The event saw the participation of representatives from the Japan-VietnamFriendship Association, and the Japan-Vietnam Exchange Association in Osaka andMimasaka, the Vietnamese Business Association in Japan, and the VietnameseAssociations in Kansai region and Kobe city, along with crowds of overseasVietnamese in the country and Japanesefriends.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mayor ofMimasaka city Hagiwara Seiji highlighted President Ho Chi Minh’s contributionsto peace and democracy in the world.
Mimasaka is honored to be the first city in Japan to place a statue ofPresident Ho Chi Minh and celebrate his birthday, he said.
He hoped the relationship between Mimasaka and Vietnam in particular, andbetween Japan and Vietnam will be stronger in the coming time.
Anart performance and a photo exhibition on the land and people of Vietnam werealso included in the programme.
Also the same day, staff from the Vietnamese Embassy, Vietnamese agencies,Vietnamese people and students living, working and studying in the UK gatheredfor a ceremony to mark the late leader’s birth anniversary.
Theceremony took place New Zealand Building, which was built on the foundation of thefamous Carlton Hotel in the centre of London, where President Ho Chi Minh workedduring his stay in the UK from 1913-1917.
In his speech at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador Tran Ngoc An expressed hisrespect for and gratitude to President Ho Chi Minh.
Chairman of the Vietnamese Association in the UK Vuong Manh Hung and Chairmanof the Vietnamese Students’ Association Ngo Nam Son expressed their emotionwhen attending the ceremony.
Similar events were also organised in Pretoria, South Africa, and Maputo,Mozambique.
Addressing the ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to South Africa Vu Van Dung highlighted President Ho Chi Minh’s life and revolutionarycareer as well as his ethics, saying that the thought, morality, personality and teachings of President HoChi Minh is the light for the nation.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Mozambique Le Huy Hoang pointedout the major milestones in President Ho Chi Minh's revolutionary career andhis contributions to the nation as well as to the national liberation cause inAfrica and in the world.-VNA