The handover took place during General Secretary and President To Lam’s visit to France. France’s National Archives Overseas and Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs presented the materials to Vietnam, represented by the Office of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee.

The documents will support research, archival work and exhibitions at the Communist Party of Vietnam Museum.

Among them is a reproduction of the front page of the August 24, 1945 edition of Cuu Quoc, or National Salvation, the newspaper’s first publicly circulated printed edition. Earlier issues had been handwritten and distributed clandestinely.

The front page features Vietnam’s red flag with a yellow star.

The collection also includes documents and reports on the activities of Nguyen Ai Quoc, the name used by Ho Chi Minh during his revolutionary years, concerning the establishment and proposed direction of the communist movement in Vietnam.

Vo Thanh Hung, Deputy Chief of the Office of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, thanked the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and relevant agencies for preserving the historically significant materials and presenting them to Vietnam.

The handover carries particular significance as 2026 marks 115 years since Ho Chi Minh first arrived in France in 1911.

The documents provide historical evidence of links between Vietnam’s revolutionary history and progressive movements in France, while highlighting France’s particular place in Ho Chi Minh’s revolutionary journey.

Their addition to Vietnam’s collections will provide further material for research, preservation and exhibitions at the Communist Party of Vietnam Museum while enriching the shared historical memory of Vietnam and France.

Vietnam expressed its hope that archival institutions and museums in the two countries would strengthen exchanges of expertise and cooperate on digitising, studying and promoting materials concerning Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam’s revolutionary history and Vietnam-France relations.

Romain Joulia, Director of France’s National Archives Overseas, welcomed the opportunity to present the materials to Vietnam.

He highlighted the importance of preserving, studying and sharing historical archives to help the public and younger generations gain a fuller understanding of important periods in the history of relations between the two countries.

The French side welcomed Vietnam’s interest in the archives and said the handover reflected cooperation and trust between institutions in the two countries.

France also expressed its readiness to promote exchanges between archival, research and museum institutions, particularly in studying, digitising and presenting materials related to Vietnam and bilateral relations.

The handover contributes to efforts to expand the collection of the Communist Party of Vietnam Museum while preserving and promoting historical materials associated with Ho Chi Minh and Vietnam’s revolutionary history.

Both sides said preserving and sharing historical records could strengthen mutual understanding, friendship and trust, contributing to deeper ties under the Vietnam-France comprehensive strategic partnership.

Tran Thuong