The central province of Khanh Hoa on April 29 held a ceremony to receive trees and stones as gifts from the Naval Force and people in Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago.

The gifts included 21 tropical almond trees and 21 coral stones, which symbolise the nation’s sovereignty over its seas and islands.

Speaking at the ceremony, Rear Admiral Pham Ngoc Chan, Political Director of the Naval Force, said this was a practical activity to educate Vietnamese people and their descendants on protecting the nation’s territorial integrity.

The gifts represented naval soldiers’ warm sentiments towards the Khanh Hoa authorities and people, he added.

“The presence of the souvenirs of Truong Sa, which is one of the province’s nine administrative units, will remind us to look towards and act in the interests of Truong Sa, a sacred territorial part of the nation,” said Vice Chairman of the provincial People’s Committee Le Xuan Than.

The participants at the ceremony laid the coral stones and planted the tropical almond trees at Bach Dang Park , Vinh Nguyen ward, Nha Trang city.

On the same day, a similar ceremony was held in the central city of Da Nang to receive 21 stones of sovereignty and plant 21 almond trees given by naval soldiers and people on the Truong Sa islands./.