International guests have gathered in Ho Chi Minh City to honour Vietnam’s historic struggle for independence as the country marks the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975-2025).
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| "I Love Vietnamese Ao Dai” parade held in Ho Chi Minh City streets during Ao Dai festival Photo: VNA |
A solemn military parade and march is scheduled from 6:30 am on April 30, attended by a host of international visitors, including war veterans, former correspondents who once reported on the Vietnam’s resistance war against the US, and representatives from global friendship organisations.
Among the guests is lawyer Virginia Lacsa Suarez, Chairwoman of Kaisa Ka, a grassroots-based women's rights organisation in the Philippines. She said she could feel the pride of the Vietnamese people as national and Party flags lined the streets. Expressing admiration for their patriotism, she said she was honoured to join the celebration.
Suarez added that Vietnam’s revolutionary history has long inspired social movements in the Philippines, and the strength and resilience of the Vietnamese people - both past and present -remain a powerful source of motivation.
Ana Maria Ronquillo Nemenzo of the Philippines–Vietnam Solidarity Committee recalled that during the 1960s and 1970s, Vietnam symbolised hope for Filipinos resisting U.S. domination. Visiting Vietnam for this historic occasion, she praised the country’s remarkable development in the decades since the war.
During that time, Vietnam served as a source of inspiration for the Filipino people's struggle against American domination. The people of the Philippines witnessed the heroic Vietnamese fight for freedom and national reunification, she said.
Belgian scholar Francine Mestrum, a specialist in development and social justice, expressed her pride in attending the celebration. She remarked that Vietnam’s arduous journey to independence has earned the respect of the global community and commended the country’s ongoing efforts to overcome the consequences of war in pursuit of growth and prosperity.
