Promoting Vietnam - Soviet/Russia relations in the cause of innovation

(Baonghean.vn) - The August Revolution succeeded (1945), the Democratic Republic of Vietnam was born, and Vietnam's diplomacy gradually took shape and developed.

Along with Party foreign affairs and State diplomacy, people's foreign affairs were paid special attention to by President Ho Chi Minh and our Party, in order to gather solidarity and gain the sympathy and support of people of peace-loving nations in the world, especially the people of the Soviet Union and socialist countries for the Vietnamese revolutionary cause. After the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) established diplomatic relations (January 30, 1950), on May 23, 1950, the Central Party Standing Committee decided to establish the Vietnam - Soviet Union Friendship Association and appointed comrade Ton Duc Thang - Vice President of the State as Chairman of the Association.

Throughout the history of the Vietnamese revolution, the Party, State and people of the Soviet Union (later the Russian Federation) have always been by Vietnam's side in the struggle for national liberation as well as in the cause of building socialism. Particularly in Nghe An, after the North was completely liberated in 1954, dozens of modern industrial and processing factories and enterprises were built with Soviet aid, such as: Vinh Power Plant with a capacity of 8,000 kW, Nui Quyet Iron and Steel Blast Furnace, Song Lam Paper Factory, Vinh Mechanical Factory, Minh Khai Textile Factory... Hundreds of Soviet management and technical staff were sent to Vietnam and Nghe An to help build, install machinery and equipment, train and guide staff and workers in receiving and operating machinery and equipment... After the years 1965 to 1995, Nghe An had about 4,500 staff and workers who were trained and worked in the Soviet Union/Russia; including about 1,500 university and post-graduate graduates working in the economic, cultural, educational, and medical sectors of the province and about 3,000 workers and apprentices in the Soviet Union/Russia working in companies, factories and plants of the province.

The Vietnam - Russia Friendship Association of Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces met with a Russian mother who came to Vinh city to visit her adopted children who studied and worked in the former Soviet Union.

Realizing the significance and importance of strengthening solidarity, friendship and cooperation; seeking the help of the Party, State and people of the Soviet Union in the struggle for national liberation, building and defending the Fatherland in Nghe An, in early 1957, the Standing Committee of Nghe An Provincial Party Committee decided to establish the Vietnam - Soviet Friendship Association and assigned comrade Dang Thai Mai, Standing member of the Central Committee of the Vietnam - Soviet Friendship Association to direct the organization and construction of the Vietnam - Soviet Association in Nghe An.

Thus, since the decision of the Provincial Party Committee Standing Committee, under the direction of the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Committee and with the personal role of comrade Dang Thai Mai, the Vietnam - Soviet Friendship Association of Nghe An province, a political - social organization operating in the field of people's foreign affairs of the first province, was born. Over the past nearly 60 years, despite having to go through many changes and ups and downs of political history in the Soviet Union, the Vietnam - Soviet Friendship Association (later the Vietnam - Russia Friendship Association) has been constantly consolidated and developed; always innovating the content and methods of operation, practically acting as a bridge, fostering the traditional solidarity and friendship between Vietnam - Soviet Union/Russia in the homeland of Nghe An.

Over the past nearly 60 years, following the historical milestones of the relationship between the two countries Vietnam - Soviet Union such as: The day of establishing diplomatic relations (January 30), the day of liberation of South Vietnam (April 30) combined with the day of victory over Nazi Germany (May 9), the anniversary of the October Socialist Revolution in Russia (November 7) ... The Vietnam - Soviet Friendship Association and the Soviet - Vietnam Friendship Association have always coordinated to organize activities to celebrate these important events. Notably, through the above activities, the Central Committee of the Soviet - Vietnam Friendship Association and the Vietnam - Soviet Friendship Association have increased delegation exchanges. In October 1967, comrade Le Nhu - former member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Chairman of the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee, Chairman of the Vietnam - Soviet Friendship Association, was invited by the Central Committee of the Vietnam - Soviet Friendship Association to join the Vietnamese delegation to the Soviet Union to attend the 60th anniversary of the October Revolution in Russia solemnly held in Moscow.

To enhance mutual understanding between the government and people of Nghe An province, the hometown of President Ho Chi Minh and Ulianov, the hometown of VI Lenin, at the end of 1979, comrade Nguyen Van Gian - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee led a delegation of Nghe An province to visit Ulianov province. This trip opened the door for the twinning event between the two countries in 1980. On the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the founding of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in Moscow (August 1990) organized by the Soviet Union's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (SSOD) in coordination with the Vietnamese Embassy in the Soviet Union, comrade Ngo Xuan Phung, who was then a member of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam - Soviet Friendship Association, Director of Nghe An Textile Export Company, was invited by the Central Committee of the Association to join the Vietnamese delegation led by comrade Dang Huu - Member of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Chairman of the Vietnam - Soviet Friendship Association to attend the ceremony.

Recently, in November 2013, the visit and work of Comrade To Hong Hai, former member of the Standing Committee, Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Science and Education Committee, Chairman of the Vietnam - Russia Friendship Association of Nghe An, was invited by the Central Committee of the Vietnam - Russia Friendship Association to join the Vietnamese delegation to the Russian Federation to attend activities to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the founding of the Russia - Vietnam Friendship Association (July 31, 1958 - July 31, 2013). Especially at the end of September 2014, a delegation of high-ranking officials of Nghe An, led by Comrade Ho Duc Phoc - Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, visited and worked with Ulianov province to strengthen the solidarity and friendship and economic and trade cooperation between the two provinces; to prepare for the twinning of Vinh City (Nghe An) with Ulianov City (Ulianov province).

On the contrary, over the past 60 years, the Soviet Union Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (SSOD), the Central Committee of the Soviet-Vietnamese Friendship Association, the government and socio-political organizations of the republics (of the Soviet Union) such as: Ukraine, Mondova, Aizec Baizan and the leaders of Ulianov province, Ulianov City, Leningrad City... have also visited and worked in Nghe An many times. Among the visits of brotherly friendship and leaving many impressions was the visit and work of the delegation of Ulianov province, Ulianov City (Russian Federation) led by the Governor of the province to Nghe An to attend the ceremony to celebrate the 90th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birthday and to attend the Nghe An - Ulianov twinning ceremony (May 1980) in Vinh City.

The most memorable was the friendly visit of the Soviet delegation, led by Major General, heroic astronaut, Chairman of the Soviet-Vietnamese Friendship Association, Herman Titov, to Nghe An to attend the commemoration and the conference on the 100th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birthday (May 1990) held in Vinh City. On the occasion of the 140th anniversary of VI Lenin's birthday (April 22, 1870 - April 22, 2010) and the 120th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's birthday (May 19, 1890 - May 19, 2010); the leaders of Nghe An province decided to choose the largest avenue from the city center to Vinh Airport, and name it Lenin Street; On the inauguration day of the "Lenin Street" signboard, a delegation of leaders of the province and Ulianov City attended the ceremony and witnessed this important event in front of a large number of Central, provincial, and city delegates and thousands of Vinh City residents.

In the early 1990s, the Soviet Union and the Eastern European socialist countries collapsed. The Vietnam - Soviet Friendship Association of Nghe An province was renamed the Vietnam - Russia Friendship Association (May 13, 1996). Continuing the tradition of solidarity and friendship of the Vietnam - Soviet Friendship Association, the Vietnam - Russia Friendship Association constantly innovated its content and methods of operation. Regularly following the difficult developments of the country and people of Russia after political upheaval. At the end of 1990, a major earthquake occurred in the Armenia region (Russian Federation). The Vietnam - Russia Friendship Association of Nghe An coordinated with a number of relevant agencies of the province to receive 25 children to Cua Lo town for treatment and convalescence, for nearly a month. In addition to the above-mentioned activities that strongly marked solidarity and friendship, the Vietnam - Russia Friendship Association also promoted activities connecting Nghe An - Russian Federation, Nghe An - Ulianov. In July 2012, a “Connection Program” was signed between the Vietnam - Russia Friendship Association of Nghe An and the Vietnamese community in Ulianov province. The connection between the two associations, the Vietnam - Russia Friendship Association of Nghe An and the Vietnamese community in Ulianov province, is constantly being strengthened and developed, serving as a bridge to foster the Vietnam - Russia solidarity and friendship between the two provinces in the renovation period.

As a socio-political organization of the province, a member of the Union of Friendship Organizations of Nghe An province. The former Vietnam - Soviet Union Friendship Association and later the Vietnam - Russia Friendship Association have gathered nearly 500 members, operating in 8 branches; in many fields in the province. With the motto: "Proactive - Flexible - Creative - Effective", the Vietnam - Russia Friendship Association today has been constantly improving the quality of its activities; actively contributing to the people's foreign affairs of Nghe An province in the cause of innovation, industrialization and modernization of the country. With outstanding achievements, the Vietnam - Russia Friendship Association of Nghe An received a Certificate of Merit from the President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations in 2011; Certificate of Merit "Unit for 5 consecutive years of excellently completing tasks 2006 - 2011" awarded by the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Emulation flag: "Unit excellently completed its tasks, leading the patriotic emulation movement in 2012" awarded by the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee and the Prime Minister's Certificate of Merit in 2013 for: "Having many achievements in the work contributing to socialism and defending the Fatherland".

Looking back at nearly 60 years of formation and development, the Vietnam - Soviet Friendship Association, later the Vietnam - Russia Friendship Association of Nghe An province, has always received attention from the Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial People's Committee and the Union of Friendship Organizations in all aspects; the Association has truly made many important contributions to the foreign affairs of the people of Nghe An province through the revolutionary stages; constantly fostering the traditional solidarity, friendship and cooperation between the people of Vietnam and Russia in general and the people of Nghe An - Ulianov provinces in particular.

Ngo Xuan Phung

(Vietnam - Russia Friendship Association of Nghe An province)