Awarding Leo Tolstoy International Peace Prize to President of Vietnam

The President of Russia took part in the ceremony to award the Leo Tolstoy International Peace Prize to General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam To Lam. The award was conferred in recognition of his substantial personal contribution to strengthening peace and cooperation among nations. The ceremony was held in the St Andrew's Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace.

The prize was established on June 22, 2022, by the Russian Historical Society, the Russian Peace Foundation and the Russian Military Historical Society. The decision to award the prize is taken by an international jury chaired by Artistic Director - General Director of the Mariinsky Theatre, General Director of the Bolshoi Theatre Valery Gergiev.

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President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Friends,

I am pleased to extend my greetings to all those present at the ceremony to award the Leo Tolstoy International Peace Prize to our esteemed friend, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Comrade To Lam. This distinguished award bears the name of the eminent Russian writer, philosopher, humanist and thinker.

Today's ceremony coincides with the birthday of Leo Tolstoy, which is, I think, profoundly symbolic. It is universally recognised that the legacy of Leo Tolstoy is indisputably part of the shared heritage of humanity. It is timeless, transcending ideological boundaries, and it has exerted - and continues to exert - a profound influence on the worldview and minds of politicians, statesmen, public figures and people of the most diverse nationalities and successive generations across the globe.

I know that in Vietnam, Tolstoy's literary and spiritual legacy is held in high regard. The first President of Vietnam, Comrade Ho Chi Minh, wrote in an article published as far back as 1960 here in the Soviet Union, in Literaturnaya Gazeta, that he had become familiar with the works of Leo Tolstoy in his early youth. These works, as he recounted, left an indelible impression upon him and inspired him to take up writing himself. Ho Chi Minh described himself as a humble disciple of the great Russian writer; he was especially moved by the spirit of compassion evident in Tolstoy's works, the defence of the rights of the oppressed, his ideals of goodness and mercy, his high standards of morality and ethics and his struggle against evil and violence. All of these qualities resonated with the leader of the Vietnamese revolution, urging him to fight against colonialism, for the freedom and independence of his homeland.

People in Russia have always sincerely respected and admired the resilience and courage of the Vietnamese people that worthily endured the severe ordeals of foreign oppression, armed interventions and national division. The Vietnamese fully appreciate the value of human life, peaceful coexistence, labour and creativity, and this attitude to life and spirituality is in harmony with and resonates with the humanist teachings of Leo Tolstoy.

Of course, we fully support the unanimous decision of the international jury to award this year's Leo Tolstoy International Peace Prize to the leader of Vietnam, Comrade To Lam and, through him, to the entire Vietnamese people.

Comrade To Lam is really a respected and forward-looking political leader, a true patriot who has chosen the path of devoted service to his homeland and the defence of its national interests as head of state, and who pursues a balanced domestic and foreign policy which contributes to the strengthening of an independent and sovereign Vietnam and to ensuring stability and security in Asia and throughout the world.

I see this award also as a high appreciation of your, Comrade To Lam, great personal contribution to deepening friendship and mutual understanding between Russia and Vietnam. Being a principled and consistent supporter of promoting Russian-Vietnamese strategic partnership, you permanently monitor the development of direct political, economic and humanitarian contacts between our countries.

And by way of conclusion, I would like to remind you that Leo Tolstoy's 200^th birth anniversary will be celebrated in two years. There will be a rich program of public cultural events both in Russia and aboard. I am sure that our Vietnamese friends will take an active part in them.

Comrade To Lam, my friend,

Please accept my heartfelt congratulations on this well-deserved and highly prestigious award. I believe that this will be duly recognised in your country as well. And, of course, I wish you, your family and friends all the very best, good health and happiness, and to the friendly Vietnamese people - well-being, success and prosperity.

Thank you.

To be continued.