Official welcoming ceremony for Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the Turkish Presidential Palace

(Dan Tri) - Between two rows of honor guards, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh entered the Turkish Presidential Palace and attended the official welcoming ceremony there hosted by Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz.

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Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz welcomed Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the Presidential Palace on the morning of November 29 local time (afternoon of the same day Vietnam time).

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The official welcoming ceremony for Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh to Turkey was chaired by Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz. After the referendum (April 2017) to change the Constitution to give more power to the President, the position of Prime Minister was abolished for the first time from the Turkish political system. Therefore, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim was the last Turkish Prime Minister to visit Vietnam (August 2017) before the amended Constitution took effect in 2019. According to the new Turkish Constitution, the Vice President has the same role as the Prime Minister.

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Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s visit to Turkey this time plays a very important role. This is the first official visit of a Vietnamese Prime Minister to Turkey in the context of the two countries celebrating the 45th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations.

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Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz introduced the members of the Turkish delegation to Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.

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After the official welcoming ceremony, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh had a short meeting with Turkish Vice President Cevdet Yilmaz.

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The two delegations entered into talks after the official welcoming ceremony. With much room for development, economic and trade cooperation between Vietnam and Turkey is expected to make great strides. If well utilized, Turkey will be a bridge for Vietnamese enterprises to access the EU and Middle East markets, while Vietnam will be a gateway for Turkish enterprises to reach the rapidly developing ASEAN region.

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Earlier in the morning of the same day, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, his wife and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation laid a wreath and visited the Mausoleum of President Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. The Commander of the Mausoleum welcomed the Prime Minister and the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation. Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (1881-1938) was the first President of the Republic of Turkey and was honored as the father of modern Turkey for his great contributions to the country and people. The Mausoleum of President Mustafa Kemal Ataturk is located in the capital Ankara, a large-scale memorial complex, a symbol of 20th-century Turkish architecture.

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Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, his wife and the Vietnamese high-ranking delegation entered the Mausoleum. Two rows of honor guards carrying wreaths walked in front.

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The head of the Vietnamese Government observed a minute of silence in memory of the late President Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

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Writing in the guestbook at the Mausoleum, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh shared that he was very moved to visit the Mausoleum of the late President Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, an outstanding politician, military man and scholar, the first President of the Republic of Turkey. "Despite being geographically far apart, Vietnam and Turkey share many similarities in the history of fighting for independence and building the country. During difficult times in history, the two peoples were fortunate to be led by great leaders such as President Ho Chi Minh and President Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, who brought the modern history of the two countries to a new stage of proud development," the Prime Minister wrote in the guestbook.

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The Mausoleum of President Mustafa Kemal Ataturk is designed to be open with evenly arranged stone columns. Standing inside the mausoleum, one can look out onto the large square below. The mausoleum consists of many components, including the tomb containing the body of President Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and an area displaying pictures and relics about his life. Many heads of state and high-ranking officials from other countries have visited the mausoleum and laid wreaths when visiting Turkey. Hoai Thu (From Ankara, Turkey) Photo: Doan Bac - Duong Giang Source