Memoirs of the life and career of former Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh

The memoir "Family, Friends, and Country" recounts the life and career milestones of former Vice President Nguyen Thi Binh - an outstanding diplomat , a living witness who participated in and witnessed the ups and downs of national history in the 20th century, from her childhood to her participation in revolutionary activities, important milestones in the struggle for national independence, and even after her retirement.

This memoir was begun by her in 2007, completed at the end of 2009, and subsequently supplemented and revised in 2013, 2014, and 2023.

Each page of the memoir is expressed in simple language, without lofty philosophical concepts, yet it is relatable and profound, conveying a spirit of patriotism, a sense of responsibility, and a heart devoted to the country and its people, creating weight in every sentence and word.

As writer Nguyen Ngoc, who worked with Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh throughout the completion of her memoir, noted, the memoir reveals a unique blend of commoner-refined, simple-elegant, gentle-steadfast; a woman with youthful spirit and intellect, combining steadfastness with a willingness to accept change and embrace new things. She is a shining symbol of the noble qualities of Vietnamese women.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh, whose real name was Nguyen Thi Chau Sa, was born on May 26, 1927, in Dien Ban town, Quang Nam province, into a family with a revolutionary tradition. Even while still in school, Nguyen Thi Chau Sa participated in patriotic activities within student movements. During the resistance against the French and American forces, she was actively involved and was repeatedly arrested and imprisoned by the enemy.

In 1960, the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam was established. In early 1961, she was assigned by the Unification Committee to participate in diplomatic activities for the Front and changed her name from Yen Sa (a pseudonym she had used since 1948) to Nguyen Thi Binh to maintain secrecy and to make her name easier for the international community to pronounce.

From this point, the world came to know a female politician - Nguyen Thi Binh - in her capacity as Head of the delegation of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam, and later the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam, participating in the Four-Party Conference on ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam in Paris.

On January 27, 1973, in Paris, the "Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam" was signed. This was the result of the most arduous and protracted diplomatic struggle in Vietnamese diplomatic history, involving 202 public joint sessions and 24 private meetings over a period of 4 years and 9 months (from May 13, 1968, to January 27, 1973). Throughout these negotiations, the whole world admired and respected the unwavering will, flexibility, and keen insight of the outstanding female diplomat, Nguyen Thi Binh, a daughter of Quang Nam province.

It can be said that her life was closely intertwined with important historical events of the country throughout the 20th century. These included the resistance war against French colonialism (1945-1954), the resistance war against American imperialism (1954-1975) which resulted in complete victory, peace for the country, and progress towards socialism, followed by the implementation of the Doi Moi (Renovation) process aimed at achieving a prosperous people, a strong nation, democracy, justice, and civilization.

At 98 years old, with 79 years of Party membership and having held various positions, Ms. Nguyen Thi Binh has made many important contributions to the nation's revolutionary cause and is a shining example for the younger generation to follow.

Source: https://nhandan.vn/hoi-ky-ve-cuoc-doi-va-su-nghiep-cua-nguyen-pho-chu-tich-nuoc-nguyen-thi-binh-post872549.html