The opening ceremony was attended by Deputy Chief of the General Staff Senior Lieutenant General Truong Thien To, Deputy Chief of the General Staff Lieutenant General Le Quang Dao, and Hero of the People’s Armed Forces Nguyen Huy Hieu, former Deputy Defense Minister.
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Delegates cutting ribbon to kick off the exhibition |
The exhibition is a practical activity marking the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Indonesia (December 30, 1955 – 2025). It features more than 200 documents, photographs, and representative artifacts showcasing the country, people, history, and culture of Vietnam and Indonesia, highlighting the comprehensive and extensive cooperation achievements between the two nations across various fields, particularly in defense cooperation.
Senior Colonel Le Vu Huy, Director of the Vietnam Military History Museum, said that the exhibition consists of three main sections, namely “Vietnam - Indonesia: Shared Similarities”; “Comprehensive Strategic Partnership”; “Development of Defense Cooperation.”
According to Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the Embassy of Indonesia in Vietnam Jane Runkat, the exhibition is a vivid testament to the friendship between the two countries. She emphasized that on December 30, 1955, Indonesia became the first country in Southeast Asia to officially establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam. Over the past 70 years, the bilateral relations have continued to expand across multiple areas of cooperation.
The exhibition displays numerous valuable images, artifacts, and documents, including items and collections presented to the public for the first time, such as a collection of souvenirs from the Indonesian State to President Ho Chi Minh; letters from Indonesian listeners sent to the External Relations Department of the Voice of Vietnam; souvenirs presented by Indonesian military delegations to the Vietnam People’s Army during official visits; a water bucket and a pilot’s uniform used by Corps 18 during firefighting missions in Indonesia. In addition, the exhibition introduces 70 contemporary photographic works, including 35 by Vietnamese photographers and 35 by Indonesian photographers.
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Delegates touring the exhibition |
The exhibition aims to present to the public, officers, soldiers, and people, the values, historical significance, and great stature of the long-standing and close friendship between Vietnam and Indonesia. This relationship, whose foundation was laid by President Ho Chi Minh and President Sukarno, has developed into today’s comprehensive strategic partnership, thereby contributing to preserving, strengthening, and deepening solidarity and promoting the traditional friendship between Vietnam and Indonesia in an increasingly sustainable manner.
The exhibition is open to visitors from December 23 at the Vietnam Military History Museum.
Translated by Tran Hoai