Bui Van Nghi, General Secretary of the Vietnam-US Society and head of the Americas Department (3rd, L) at the reception for Lady Borton and Pham Ngac. Photo: Vietnam Times |
The meeting took place on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Paris Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam (Paris Peace Accords) (January 27, 1973).
Ngac was once a member of the delegation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam to the Paris negotiations. He wrote minutes of private and open meetings during the five-year talks and the signing of the Paris Agreement - an unprecedented victory that elevated Vietnam's position in the international arena.
At the recent meeting, he recalled stories during the negotiations.
In 2013 that marked the 40th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, Ngac and some other delegation members, including Trinh Ngoc Thai and Luu Van Loi, and Borton released a photo book titled "Paris Conference on Vietnam: Looking Back, 1968 - 1973".
The book collected photos featuring the two-party and four-party conferences, the signing of the Paris Agreement, official and secret meetings, along with those capturing views in and outside the conferences.
Ngac expressed his hope to republish the book to mark the 50th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, with never-before-announced information to be added.
Borton also unveiled that she is about to republish “Nguyen Thi Binh - Memoir - Family, Friends and Country” which was translated by herself from the Vietnamese version “Gia đình, bạn bè và đất nước” (Family, Friends and Country).
She said new information about Nguyen Thi Binh’s family will be included and she will soon send the draft to Binh in order to ask for her permission.
Representatives from the Americas Department and the guests in a group photo. Photo: Vietnam Times |
For his part, Bui Van Nghi, General Secretary of the Vietnam-US Society and head of the Americas Department, spoke highly of the two authors’ ideas, saying the republication will be a meaningful event to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Paris Agreement.
He considered the book valuable documents honoring contributions of delegation members to the negotiations and officials who once served the conference, as well as individuals who contributed to Vietnam’s diplomacy and revolution at large.
They also help young generations and participants, both at home and abroad, at the celebration activities to be held by VUFO understand more about the Paris Agreement, he added.
Nghi said he will make a report to VUFO leaders to coordinate with the authors in the republication./.
Long Pham / Vietnamtimes