The Paris Peace Agreement was a combination of military, political and diplomatic victories, forcing the USA to end the war, withdraw all troops, creating a new situation to reach final victory - Photo: Vietnam News Agency

On January 27, 1973, the Agreement on ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam was officially signed in Paris, France, opening a turning point in the history of the people’s resistance war against the USA and the national salvation of the Vietnamese people, creating favourable conditions for the Vietnamese revolution to continue advancing to gain new victories, culminating in the Great Victory in the Spring of 1975, completely liberating the South and reunifying the country.

Today’s conference aims to highlight the stature and significance of the Paris Peace Agreement to the national historical process and our people’s resistance war against the USA and national salvation; summarizing lessons learned to apply in the cause of national construction and development, and national defense in the new situation. With that purpose and meaning, the Conference is focused on clarifying and affirming the following main points:

Firstly, the victory of the Paris Peace Agreement - the peak of Vietnamese diplomacy during the 30-year war of liberation

Since 1965, along with sending troops to directly invade the South and wage a destructive war against the North, the US imperialists conducted many diplomatic campaigns, in the name of “solving the Vietnamese problem” but actually “demanding Vietnam to negotiate unconditionally”⁽¹⁾. Faced with that situation, our Party affirmed the determination of the Vietnamese people to fight against the US imperialists’ invasion and countered the US government’s argument for a false peace, demanding that Vietnam negotiate unconditionally; at the same time, the Party planned for a situation of “fighting while negotiating”.

The Resolution of the 13th Plenum of the 3rd Party Central Committee (January 1967) clearly states: “Military struggle and political struggle in the South are the main factors determining victory on the battlefield, which is the basis for victory on the diplomatic front. We can only win at the conference table what we have won on the battlefield”⁽²⁾, thereby raising the diplomatic struggle to a diplomatic front that coordinates with the political front and the military front. The resolution is valid as a platform on the front of the Party’s diplomatic struggle in the resistance war against the USA and national salvation.

After the Tet Offensive and Uprising, starting in May 1968, the Paris Conference officially began, “marking a duel on the diplomatic front”, creating the situation of “fighting while negotiating”. The negotiations at the Paris Conference were arduous and complicated, and “lasted nearly 5 years, with 202 public sessions, 36 secret, private meetings, 500 press conferences and 1,000 interviews and negotiations”⁽³⁾. Finally, at exactly 12:30 (Paris time) on January 22, 1973, at the Clebe Center for International Conferences, the Agreement on ending the war and restoring peace in Vietnam was initialed by Special Advisor Le Duc Tho and National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger. On January 27, 1973, the Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam was officially signed.

This is an international legal document that affirms the great victory of the Vietnamese people in the resistance war against the USA and saves the country, via important provisions, which are: The United States and other countries commit to respect the independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of Vietnam; US troops and allied countries must withdraw from Vietnam. The people of South Vietnam shall decide for themselves their political future through a truly free and democratic General Election; the reunification of Vietnam will be done step by step via peaceful methods, and so on.

Experiencing a long process of struggle, and perseverance, full of arduous sacrifices, from the Preliminary Agreement (March 6, 1946), the Provisional Agreement (September 14, 1946), the Geneva Agreement (July 21, 1954), until the Paris Peace Agreement, Vietnam affirmed to the world that it is a completely independent, sovereign, country with a unified territory. The Paris Peace Agreement is the culmination of the victory of Vietnam’s diplomacy in the 30 years of the war for national liberation, an eloquent proof of the skillful application of President Ho Chi Minh’s motto “Being firm in objectives, flexible in strategies and tactics” of President Ho Chi Minh, for the policy of “more friends”, “fewer enemies”, forecasting and seizing the right opportunity to reach the decisive victory of our Party. This brilliant victory is the result of more than 18 years of persistent fighting, overcoming thousands of sacrifices and hardships, of forty million compatriots and soldiers throughout our country. It is the victory of the spirit of “Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom”, of the strength of uniting the whole people, of revolutionary heroism, of the four thousand years of patriotic, indomitable, and resilient tradition of the Vietnamese people”⁽⁴⁾.

Secondly, the stature and historical significance of the Paris Peace Agreement for the Vietnamese revolutionary process

The Paris Peace Agreement was a combination of military, political and diplomatic victories, forcing the USA to end the war, withdraw all troops, creating a new situation to reach final victory. From the strategic fulcrum of the Paris Peace Agreement, our army and people carried out the 1975 Spring General Offensive and Uprising, completely liberating the South and reunifying the country. As the 4th National Congress of the Party (in 1976) affirmed: “The years will pass, but the victory of our people in the cause of the resistance war against America and for national salvation will forever be recorded in the history of our nation as one of the most brilliant pages, a shining symbol of the victory of revolutionary heroism and Vietnamese human intelligence, and will enter world history as one of the great feats of the twentieth century, an event of great international importance and profound epochalism”⁽⁵⁾.

Not long after the Paris Peace Agreement was signed, The Agreement on the Restoration of Peace and Achievement of National Concord in Laos (also known as the Vientiane Agreement) was also signed (February 1973), which opened a new historical page and was a direct premise leading to the complete victory of the Laos revolution in 1975. The Paris Peace Agreement also created favourable conditions for the Cambodian people’s national liberation revolution to advance to victory in April 1975. With the withdrawal of the US troops from the region, and the dissolution of SEATO bloc, a new situation was opened creating a trend of peace and neutrality in Southeast Asia. This is also a great contribution of the Vietnamese revolutionary movement to the world people’s struggle for peace, progress, and national liberation.

The Paris Peace Agreement created the conditions and environment for Vietnam to establish diplomatic relations with other countries, enlisting the support of international friends in the struggle for peace, justice and national reunification for the Vietnamese people. This became an important foundation [for the future] so that during the Doi moi (renovation) period, we can open up, resume and normalize our foreign relations, breaking the siege, isolation, and embargo, to open a period of integration and expansion into the region and the world, contributing to enhancing the position and prestige of our country in the international arena.

Thirdly, promoting the great values and important lessons of the Paris Peace Agreement in the cause of innovation, integration and development, and building a prosperous and happy Vietnam

Half a century has passed, the Paris Peace Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring Peace in Vietnam remains intact, leaving us with deep and valuable lessons. It is a lesson in promoting the synergy of politics - economy, defense - security and diplomacy to protect the Fatherland promptly, from afar, closely coordinating between the diplomatic struggle alongside the military and political struggle, taking military and political victories as the basis for a diplomatic offensive, for international solidarity, and isolating the enemy. In the face of complicated and unpredictable developments in the current international context, it is necessary to closely coordinate diplomatic activities, while promoting economic, cultural and social development, in association with ensuring national defense and the security of the country; closely and harmoniously coordinating with Party and State diplomacy, alongside people’s diplomacy; creating synergy to defend the Fatherland promptly, and from afar [and] since the country is not in danger, maintaining a peaceful and stable environment for the rapid and sustainable development of the country.

It is a lesson in deeply grasping the ideology of President Ho Chi Minh’s “Firm in objectives, flexible in strategies and tactics”. “Being firm in objectives” is to be resolutely uncompromising on principled issues of: maintaining independence, self-control; respecting the basic national rights of the Vietnamese people, the right of self-determination of the people of the South, [meaning] the USA and foreign troops had to withdraw from South Vietnam, etc., being proactive and clever in choosing forms and methods of diplomatic struggle, in making concessions on minor issues, knowing how to win step by step in negotiations towards complete victory. That makes up the characteristics of Vietnam’s modern foreign affairs and diplomacy and is imbued with national identity - the Vietnamese Bamboo diplomacy⁽⁶⁾.

It is also a profound lesson on combining national strength with the power of the times, enlisting the support of the Soviet Union, China, the socialist countries, non-aligned countries, the world’s people and the American people, forming the “World People’s Front in support of Vietnam against the American aggression”⁽⁷⁾. Inheriting and promoting that important lesson, in the cause of renovation, we have set out a policy to consider promoting our internal strength as a decisive factor, [and] our external force as an important factor; properly and harmoniously handle independence, self-reliance alongside solidarity, international cooperation, national interests and international responsibilities; remaining steadfast in the goal of national independence and socialism, skillfully combining political diplomacy with economic and cultural diplomacy; State diplomacy with people’s diplomacy; ensuring balance between multilateral and bilateral diplomacy, etc., alertness, proactive and timely response to complex fluctuations of the world situation.

In particular, it is a lesson on maintaining and strengthening the leadership of the Party in the whole process of the struggle on the diplomatic front. In the process of comprehensive and extensive international integration, we need to strengthen and maintain the Party’s leadership in foreign affairs and diplomatic activities to successfully and consistently implement the policies towards a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development, diversification and multilateralization of foreign relations... Vietnam is a friend, a reliable, responsible partner and an active member of the international community⁽⁸⁾.

As a result, up through to today, Vietnam has developed diplomatic relations with 191 countries out of the total 193 member states of the United Nations, with a network of special relationships, comprehensive strategic partnerships, strategic partnerships, and extensive comprehensive strategic partners; Vietnam is an active and responsible member of more than 70 international organizations and forums; Vietnam’s diplomacy has made an important contribution to the great and historically significant achievements of our country in the period of renovation, integration and development.

Reviewing the stature and significance of the Paris Peace Agreement’s 50th Anniversary to shape the future, we continue to inherit, promote and creatively apply the lessons learned from the historic negotiations to serve the revolutionary cause in the new period, contributing to building a comprehensive and modern diplomatic policy including the three pillars; the Party’s foreign affairs, the State’s diplomacy and the people’s diplomacy, firmly building and defending the Vietnam Socialist Fatherland.

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Endnotes:

(1) Paris Peace Agreement - 40 years in retrospect, People’s Army Publishing House, Hanoi, 2013, p.42.

(2) Some documents of the Communist Party of Vietnam on anti-Americanism and national salvation, volume 2 (1965-1970), Truth Publishing House, Hanoi, 1986, p.38.

(3) Vu Duong Huan: Research results, a summary of the Paris negotiations on Vietnam, in the book Historical negotiations. The 35th Anniversary of the Paris Peace Agreement 1973-2008, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2009, p.33.

(4) “The call” of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Workers’ Party on January 28, 1973. CPV: Complete Works, vol.34, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2004, p.11.

(5) CPV: Complete Works, vol.37, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2004, p.471.

(6) Addressing the direction of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the National Foreign Affairs Conference on implementing the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, December 14, 2021.

(7) Diplomacy of Vietnam 1945-2000, National Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2002, p.267.

(8) CPV: Documents of the 13th National Party Congress, vol.1, National Truth Political Publishing House, Hanoi, 2021, p.161-162.