H.E. Mrs. Ngo Thi Hoa, Ambassador of Viet Nam with guests during the Viet Nam 74th National Day.
By Catherine Dailey.
On Thursday, September 5, Her Excellency, Ambassador Ngo Thi Hoa, welcomed many distinguished international guests to a festive outdoor reception, held on the embassy’s grounds, in celebration of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam’s 74th National Day.
Among those present for the occasion, were numerous other Excellencies and scores of diplomats, some in uniform, from countries across the world. Public officials from The Hague, representatives from some of Vietnam’s Dutch trading partners, representatives from universities, friends from Dutch-Vietnamese communities, and many other “friends of Vietnam” were also invited to celebrate together with the Ambassador and her staff.
Her Excellency gave a brief statement to her guests and explained that President Ho Chi Minh, “the beloved leader of the Vietnamese people”, first proclaimed the Declaration of Independence in Hanoi on September 2, 1945. With this proclamation, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, was born.
The Ambassador, also drew attention to Vietnam’s “Doi Moi” or “Renovation” policy, launched some thirty years ago. “Doi Moi”, the term given to Vietnam’s strategic long term foreign policy, emphasizing “independence, self-reliance, cooperation and development, diversification and multilization of external relations and both proactive and active international integration.”
2019 has been especially auspicious for the nation. Vietnam’s distinctive banner of a single golden star centered on a field of red, will be more visible than ever before in the years ahead, because, for the second in history, Vietnam was elected, by a nearly unanimous and record high number of votes, to become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council starting on January 1, 2020 for the 2020-2021 term.
Ambassador Ngo Thi Hoa also drew special attention to the 46thyear anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Netherlands (September 4, 1973 – September 4, 2019) and called attention to Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s April 2019 visit to Vietnam and the bilateral agreement to upgrade the Vietnam-Netherlands relation to a “comprehensive partnership” which resulted from that visit. She noted that the Netherlands, in addition to being Vietnam’s second largest trading partner, is also the largest European investor in the country.
Today, Vietnam is one of the fastest growing economies in the region and with a 7.1% GDP growth rate as of 2018, the nation enjoys one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Her Excellency stated that, “the country enjoys free trading relations with nearly 60 countries and partners in the world as a result of 16 Free Trade Agreeements” (FTAs) and further mentioned EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement signed in Hanoi on June 30 of this year, which is expected to boost EU exports to Vietnam by more than 15% and those from Vietnam to the EU by some 20% by 2020.
In closing, Her Excellency expressed her “deepest gratitude to the Government, the Ministries, the Dutch business community and people of the Netherlands and the international partners and friends who have cooperated with Vietnam over the years” and thanked them all for their “affection and support.” She also expressed her gratitude to the Vietnamese community in the Netherlands for their “continuous contribution to strengthen the friendship” between the two countries.
She concluded by offering a toast to “the fruitful friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and the Netherlands and to peace, stability and prosperity all over the world!” and warmly invited her many guests to an extensive hot and cold gastronomic buffet, catered by the The Hague’s popular Vietnamese restaurant “Ngon.”
For additional information: www.ngon.nl
