On the morning of May 19, 2025, in celebration of the 135th birth anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh and the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Czech Republic (1950–2025), the Embassy of Vietnam in the Czech Republic, in collaboration with the municipal government of Chrastava (Liberec province), held an inauguration ceremony for a memorial plaque commemorating President Ho Chi Minh’s visit to Chrastava on July 20, 1957.

The ceremony took place at the Chrastava City Museum, with the participation of Vietnamese Ambassador to the Czech Republic Mr. Duong Hoai Nam, Chrastava Mayor Michael Canov, representatives of the Vietnamese community leadership, and a large number of local officials and overseas Vietnamese residents.

In his remarks, Mayor Canov emphasized the symbolic significance of the event, which recalls an important historical milestone in the friendship between the two nations. He noted that from 1956 to 1959, over 100 young Vietnamese cadets studied in Chrastava—marking the first Vietnamese presence in Czechoslovakia. President Ho Chi Minh’s visit to these children in 1957 was a deeply emotional moment, fondly remembered and well-documented by the local people through various materials and memorabilia.

Ambassador Duong Hoai Nam expressed sincere gratitude to the authorities and people of Chrastava for their support in realizing the memorial plaque project. He affirmed: “This inauguration is not only a tribute to President Ho Chi Minh but also a vivid symbol of Vietnam–Czech friendship.”

The event also served as an occasion to reflect on 75 years of growing bilateral ties in education, economics, culture, and people-to-people exchange. Notably, the Vietnamese community of over 65,000 in the Czech Republic—officially recognized as a national minority since 2013—continues to play a vital role in enhancing connection, mutual understanding, and cooperation between the two nations.

Sources: Embassy of Vietnam in the Czech Republic, VNA, Genus.cz, VietnamTimes, Tamda Media.