Prague (VNA) – A ceremony to mark the 136th birth anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh and the 50th anniversary of the city’s Ho Chi Minh Monument, and a seminar highlighting the enduring value of the late leader's thought on international solidarity have been recently held in Zalaegerszeg, Hungary.
The April 30 event, organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in Hungary in coordination with the municipal administration, brought together Vietnamese Ambassador to Hungary Bui Le Thai, Zalaegerszeg Mayor Zoltan Balaicz, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Nghe An provincial People’s Committee Bui Thanh An, representatives of the Hungary-Vietnam Friendship Association, Vietnamese community organisations in Hungary and Hungarian friends.
In a solemn atmosphere, delegates laid flowers in tribute to President Ho Chi Minh, honouring him as a national liberation hero, an eminent cultural figure and a major thinker whose ideas continue to resonate far beyond Vietnam.
Addressing the gathering, Ambassador Thai said Ho Chi Minh was not only the great leader of the Vietnamese nation but also an enduring symbol of peace, national independence, freedom and international solidarity. His forward-looking vision that “Vietnam seeks to be a friend to all democratic countries around the world” laid the foundation for Vietnam’s current foreign policy of openness, diversification and multilateralisation, peace, cooperation, and development, he noted.
He stressed that in President Ho Chi Minh thought, international solidarity is not merely political support but also a bond of shared ideals and responsibility for humanity. President Ho Chi Minh viewed nations as communities sharing a destiny and universal aspirations for peace, justice and human dignity.
The ambassador also expressed gratitude to the authorities and people of Zalaegerszeg for preserving and caring for the Ho Chi Minh Monument over the past five decades as part of the city’s cultural heritage, calling it a vivid symbol of Vietnam-Hungary friendship.
Inaugurated on April 30, 1976, the monument is the only full-body outdoor statue of President Ho Chi Minh in Central and Eastern Europe. It marks a special period when the Hungarian people strongly supported Vietnam’s struggle for independence and national reunification.
Mayor Balaicz said the monument had become an inseparable part of the city’s cultural life. Its construction in 1976, he said, was not only a political and historical decision but also a moral choice reflecting the Hungarian people’s deep sympathy and support for Vietnam’s just cause.
The seminar on Ho Chi Minh’s thought on international solidarity also drew thoughtful contributions from Hungarian participants. Speakers affirmed that President Ho Chi Minh’s ideology of international solidarity is deeply humanitarian and holds enduring practical value.
Hungarian delegates recalled that during the 1950s-1970s, solidarity was vividly demonstrated through fundraising campaigns, material assistance and marches supporting Vietnam under the slogan “We are with you, Vietnam”. That spirit, they said, helped build a strong foundation for bilateral friendship today.
Participants agreed that as the world confronts climate change, conflict, inequality and division, President Ho Chi Minh’s thought on international solidarity remains highly relevant. Through dialogue, cooperation and shared responsibility, they said, the international community can pursue more sustainable solutions to global challenges while further deepening the Vietnam-Hungary Comprehensive Partnership./.
