Restoration of Uncle Ho's Monument in Madagascar
On September 11, the Vietnamese Embassy in Mozambique and Madagascar in coordination with Antananarivo City Hall and the Ministry of Culture of Madagascar held an inauguration ceremony for the restoration of Ho Chi Minh Square and Uncle Ho Statue in the capital city of Antananarivo.
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| Ambassador Nguyen Van Trung spoke at the ceremony. Photo: Vietnamese Embassy in Madagascar |
Prime Minister of Madagascar Kolo Christophe, Deputy Prime Minister Rakotovao Rivo, 5 government cabinet ministers, Mayor of Antananarivo and over 200 delegates including representatives of the Diplomatic Corps, ministries, branches, and socio-political organizations of Madagascar attended.
In particular, representatives of generations of the Vietnamese-Madagascar community attended and laid flowers in memory of President Ho Chi Minh.
Speaking at the ceremony, on behalf of the people of Antananarivo, Mayor Ny Hasina Andriamanjoto emotionally recalled the honor and pride of the people of Madagascar in 2003 when Vietnam chose the city as the place to place the Uncle Ho Monument.
The Mayor said that, with the support of the Vietnamese Government, despite many difficulties, the city has determined to maintain, repair and embellish the entire relic complex including Ho Chi Minh Square, Uncle Ho's statue, the stone stele engraved with the words "Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom" in three languages: Vietnamese, French and local language, along with the surrounding park space, trees and roads.
At the ceremony, the Minister of Culture and Heritage of Madagascar emphasized that the Ho Chi Minh Monument placed on the distant land of Madagascar is not only to commemorate a leader of the national liberation struggle but also to be associated with Vietnam, a country that the people of Madagascar always admire and respect.
The Minister affirmed that President Ho Chi Minh's thoughts on preserving and developing national culture, on educating patriotism, on the will to overcome poverty and dependence are also the great viewpoints that Madagascar, a country with a long-standing culture, is pursuing on its path of reconstruction.
Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Van Trung thanked the people of Madagascar for their affection for President Ho Chi Minh. The Ambassador affirmed that it was President Ho Chi Minh who built and nurtured the friendship between Vietnam and Madagascar.
The Ambassador also thanked the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers and Ministers for their enthusiastic attendance at the Ceremony, considering it a meaningful gesture that the leaders and people of Madagascar made to President Ho Chi Minh in particular and to Vietnam in general.
| The Ho Chi Minh Monument and Square in Antananarivo was built by Vietnam in 2003. The bust of President Ho Chi Minh was cast in bronze, placed on a granite pedestal, with a total height of 3.4 m, below is a stone slab engraved with his famous saying: "Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom". The project was seriously degraded during the coup. As soon as the situation in Madagascar stabilized, in March 2014, with the support of the Vietnamese Embassy in Mozambique, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism coordinated with the Madagascar side to maintain and repair this project. |
According to chinhphu.vn
