At the working session (Photo: baoquocte.vn)

During a meeting with representatives of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Legislative Council of Saint Petersburg, as well as leaders of the city's districts and the Uncle Ho statue casting company on June 15, Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi emphasized that 2023 is an important year in the relationship between Vietnam and Russia, especially for the city of Saint Petersburg. The two countries will jointly celebrate the 100th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's first visit to Petrograd, now named Saint Petersburg.

The Ambassador said that President Ho Chi Minh was the one who laid the foundation and worked hard to cultivate the friendship between Vietnam and the Soviet Union in the past, and Vietnam and Russia today. The Ambassador highly appreciated the efforts of Saint Petersburg city government to create favorable conditions for the project of erecting a statue of Uncle Ho in the "Northern capital" of Russia.

According to Mr. Khoi, in October 2020, Vietnam and Russia solemnly held a ceremony to lay the stone at the place where the statue is expected to be erected. The statue of Uncle Ho, scheduled to be inaugurated at the intersection between Enlightenment Avenue and Ho Chi Minh Street in Vyborg District in Saint Petersburg, will be a beautiful symbol between Vietnam and Russia.

Regarding the preparation for the erection of Uncle Ho's statue, the Ambassador stated that the Vietnamese side thanks the Saint Petersburg government for facilitating the consideration and approval of the statue design. This is a complex process that requires the involvement of many agencies. Currently, the two sides continue to work closely to be able to inaugurate the statue of Uncle Ho in 2023 as expected, on the great occasion of the 100th anniversary of Uncle Ho's arrival in Russia on his trip to find a way to save the country.

Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Saint Petersburg Evgeny Grigoriev and Vice Chairman of the Legislative Council of Saint Petersburg Nikolai Bondarenko expressed their pleasure that the Russia-Vietnam relations in particular, and the relations between Saint Petersburg and Vietnamese localities in general, continue to develop, reaping many achievements in the past time. This is the result of efforts from both sides, when both the leaders of Vietnam and Russia repeatedly emphasized the importance of the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

Mr. Nikolai Bondarenko stated clearly the desire of the leaders of the Saint Petersburg government to soon successfully erect the statue of President Ho Chi Minh in the "Northern capital" of Russia, at the same time affirming actively supporting and promoting to complete the project.

Also at the meeting, Mr. Viktor Polunin, the leader of Vyborg district, said that the district is considering a proposal to open the Ho Chi Minh museum, or a corner on Vietnam at a school opposite where the statue is expected to be erected.

Mr. Polunin hoped that the students at the school would contribute to preserving the landscape around the statue of Uncle Ho, thereby continuing to help spread the love of President Ho Chi Minh in Russia./.

BTA