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France honours former Vietnamese ambassador

France has conferred the second-class Legion of Honour Order on former Vietnamese Ambassador to France Trinh Ngoc Thai for his significant contributions to raising mutual understanding between the two countries.
France has conferred the second-class Legion of Honour Order on formerVietnamese Ambassador to France Trinh Ngoc Thai for his significantcontributions to raising mutual understanding between the two countries.

The French Ambassador to Vietnam, Jean-Noel Poirier,presented the order to the veteran diplomat at a ceremony in Hanoion June 20.

Thai, 83, used to be a member of Vietnam’s delegation to the Paris Conference.

Between 1992 and 1996, Thai worked hard to strengthen bilateral tieswith France in his capacity as Vietnamese Ambassador. The highlightof his time in the position was the official visit to Hanoi byFrench President Francois Mitterrand in 1993, which ushered in a newchapter in the two nations’ ties.

The French Embassy inVietnam also praised the diplomat’s role in fostering theestablishment and development of French agencies in Vietnam,including L’Espace and Ecole Francaise d’Extreme-Orient ( EFEO-FrenchSchool for the Far East ), in the 1990s.

As a fluent Frenchspeaker, he valued the development of the French language and worked tohelp Vietnam enter the International Francophone Organisation. Helater became Chairman of the Permanent Council of La Francophonie in1992, a role which he held until 1997.

In his positions asDeputy Chairman of the Vietnam Peace and Development Foundation and VicePresident of the Vietnam – France Friendship Association, Thaiendeavored for peace, development and understanding among nations.

Initiated by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, the Legion of Honour Order isFrance’s highest award for individuals who have made extraordinarycontributions to France.-VNA
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