Pham Thu Hang, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated on 23/4, citing information from the Vietnamese Embassy in Mexico, that the embassy is working closely with local authorities to renovate President Ho Chi Minh's statue in the historic center of Mexico City.

"This is a very significant project, honoring President Ho Chi Minh, the great leader of the Vietnamese people, a national liberation hero, and a world cultural figure. It also symbolizes the strong friendship between Vietnam and Mexico," Ms. Hang said.

Vietnamese diplomatic officials and representatives from Mexico City authorities lay flowers at the President Ho Chi Minh monument in the Park of the Freedom of Peoples on 22/5/2015. Photo: TTXVN

According to the spokesperson, under the supervision and security assurance of Mexico City authorities and the Vietnamese Embassy in Mexico, President Ho Chi Minh's statue has been moved to a maintenance and preservation facility.

Mexico was one of the first Latin American countries to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam, on 19/5/1975. The statue of President Ho Chi Minh was erected in 2009, based on a photograph taken by artist Dinh Dang Dinh showing President Ho Chi Minh working in the Presidential Palace garden. Behind the statue, a golden inscription reads "Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom" in Spanish.

Ngoc Anh