HO CHI MINH, Vietnam – The President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou, in the framework of her official visit to Vietnam, visited Ho Chi Minh City, where she was welcomed at the Palace of Independence by the Chairman of the People’s Committee of the city, Phan Văn Mãi.

Sakellaropoulou concluded her visit on Thursday, when she was given a tour of the city’s Museum of Vietnamese History, the Temple of King Hung and the Pagoda of the Jade Emperor, while on Tuesday she laid a wreath at the statue of Ho Chi Minh.

Responding to the address of the Chairman of the People’s Committee at the dinner given in her honour, Sakellaropoulou thanked him for the warm hospitality in the city named after the historical leader of the country and expressed the hope that her visit would trigger a strengthening of ties with Greece, especially in the fields of economic and cultural cooperation.

As she pointed out, “despite the geographical distance, our countries are linked by a close friendship, based on solid foundations and common values in international relations. Greece and Vietnam face similar challenges, which they approach on the basis of the same principles: the peaceful settlement of disputes under international law, as well as the rejection of violence and the threat of the use of force.”

She also said she was particularly pleased to visit Ho Chi Minh City, a city of outstanding historical and political significance, recalling that the people of the city, as well as all of Vietnam, had experienced difficult times of war, deprivation and hardship in the past.