The Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a ceremony today to honor Nguyen Thi Binh, former member of the Party Central Committee, former vice president, and former foreign minister of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam, with the hero of labor title.

Party General Secretary To Lam presented the title to Nguyen Thi Binh.

The decision to award the hero of labor title to Nguyen Thi Binh was signed by President Luong Cuong, recognizing her "immense contributions to the field of foreign affairs and to the revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation."

Party General Secretary To Lam presents the hero of labor title to Nguyen Thi Binh on 25/8. Photo: Giang Huy

Speaking at the ceremony, Nguyen Thi Binh recalled the Paris Peace Accords, calling it a particularly significant event in the 80-year history of Vietnam's diplomacy. She affirmed that the signing of the Paris Agreement was a major historical victory for the nation, leading to the liberation of the south and the reunification of the country.

"Today, we have peace, independence, and unity, with the Party's policy of extensive international integration and the goal of building Vietnam into a strong, prosperous, and developed nation, with diplomacy at the forefront. I believe that with its 80-year tradition, experience, and valuable historical lessons, our diplomatic corps will develop strongly, meeting the needs of the country and proving worthy of the trust of the Party, the state, and the people," she said.

Nguyen Thi Binh, whose real name is Nguyen Thi Chau Sa, is 98 years old and hails from Quang Nam province. She joined the revolution in August 1945 at the age of 18, studied at Lycee Sisowath in Cambodia, then studied in France, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in literature from Hanoi University.

Party General Secretary To Lam and Nguyen Thi Binh at the hero of labor title ceremony on 25/8. Photo: Giang Huy

In late 1968, she traveled to Paris to attend the conference on ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam as a representative of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam. After the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam was established in June 1969, she was appointed foreign minister and head of the negotiating delegation at the Paris Peace Conference.

The Paris Peace Conference was a protracted negotiation, lasting 4 years, 8 months, and 16 days, with over 200 official meetings, 45 private meetings, over 500 press conferences, and thousands of interviews. Nguyen Thi Binh, along with advisors Le Duc Tho and Xuan Thuy, formed a "negotiating trio" that garnered considerable attention and goodwill from international public opinion at the time.

Continuous military victories on the battlefield created an opportunity for Vietnamese negotiators to compel the opposing side to accept the fundamental terms necessary to sign the Paris Agreement on ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam on 27/1/1973. Binh was the only woman to sign the agreement.

Ngoc Anh