Former Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan (Photo: chinhphu.vn)Hanoi (VNA) – The signing of the Paris Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam on January 27, 1973, had brought a special spring to the northern region, when for the first time in the resistance war there was no air-raid siren and no evacuation, former Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan toldVietnam News Agency during a recent interview on the occasion of the agreement's 50th signing anniversary.
Khoan,who is also former Secretary of the Party Central Committee, recalled the circumstances around the negotiations for the agreement, which could be said to be the longest peace talks in history. The process lasted from 1968 to1973 with more than 200 public sessions, 45high-level private meetings, and thousands of interviews and rallies.
At the signing ceremony of the Paris Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam on January 27, 1973. (Photo: VNA)OnJanuary 23, 1973, the Paris Agreement on ending the war and restoring peace inVietnam was initialed by two special advisers Le Duc Tho and Henry Kissinger.On January 27, 1973, the Foreign Ministers of the four parties, including theUS, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the Provisional RevolutionaryGovernment of the Republic of South Vietnam and the Republic of Vietnam,officially signed the Paris Agreement.
According to Khoan, a major advantage for Vietnam in the negotiation process was the national solidarity power andsupport of people worldwide, including the Americans. However, the difficulties facing the country were the huge losses in its struggle against a powerful country like the US, and the disagreement among fraternal socialist countries.
Accordingto him, the negotiation on the Paris agreement left many lessons for Vietnamese diplomacy. Thoughnot directly engaging in the treaty talks, he personally drew four lessons,including gathering and combining the national strength with epochal andinternational power, consistently maintaining one's stance, staying persevere and being wise.
Askedabout the role of culture in diplomacy, Khoan said Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap had toldvisiting US Secretary of Defence McNamara that Vietnam’s victory is attributable to culture, not military power. Vietnam’s national power was underpinned bypatriotism and solidarity spirit. Moreover, the Vietnamese people are ready to set aside the past and look toward the future.
In Khoan's view, every Vietnamese should be an ambassador conveying thequintessence of the national and diplomatic culture when meeting with foreignfriends.
He said he still remembered the festiveatmosphere in the Lunar New Year’s festival following the signing of the treaty. The international community, leaders ofcountries and overseas Vietnamese all shared the joy with Vietnam./.
