French Defense Minister to attend 70th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory

Bộ trưởng Bộ Quốc phòng Pháp Sebastien Lecornu - Ảnh: AFP — French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu - Photo: AFP

On May 3, four days before Vietnam celebrates the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory, the French Embassy in Hanoi confirmed the presence of special guests at the invitation of Vietnam.

They are French Minister of the Army (ie Ministry of Defense) Sebastien Lecornu, and Ms. Patricia Miralles, Secretary of State to the French Minister of Defense in charge of veterans' affairs.

"The invitation to France to attend this celebration and the visit of the French Minister of Defense demonstrate the good bilateral relations, the friendship between the two countries and the common desire of the two countries to strengthen their partnership," the French Embassy affirmed.

The French Minister of Defense is expected to meet with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Defense Minister Phan Van Giang and Head of the Party Central Committee's Foreign Affairs Commission Le Hoai Trung before attending the anniversary ceremony in Dien Bien Phu.

On this occasion, the two sides are expected to sign a letter of intent between the French Ministry of Defense and the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense on enhancing cooperation in the defense field.

In Dien Bien Phu, the French Defense Minister will visit the battle sites and is expected to meet with Vietnamese and French veterans.

Secretary of State Patricia Miralles will explore the "historical memory trail" in three languages prepared by both sides, and attend the lighting ceremony of Muong Thanh Bridge using lighting technology implemented by the city of Lyon, according to the French Embassy.

This is not the first time a French politician has visited Dien Bien Phu.

Previously, in 1993, then French President Francois Mitterrand visited the site of the 1954 battle that shocked the world.

In 2018, during his visit to Vietnam, then French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe also spent about 3 hours at locations in Dien Bien Phu.

However, these visits did not coincide with the occasion when Vietnam celebrated the Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7, 1954).

Therefore, the participation of the French Minister of Defense at the invitation of Vietnam at the upcoming 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory is very meaningful, or "historic" as the French Embassy in Vietnam put it.

TT (According to Tuoi Tre)

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