VietNamNet Bridge – On the evening of February 26, in Ho Chi Minh City, the French Ambassador to Vietnam Jean-Noël Poirier presented the Legion of Honour Medal to Madam Ton Nu Thi Ninh.

 

 

Ninh was previously awarded the second-class Legion of Honour Medal (the highest level is fifth) after the Francophone Summit in Hanoi in 1997, and this time, the French Ambassador awarded the third-class Legion of Honour Medal for her.

As a teacher, a diplomat and a politician, Madam Ninh has continuously contributed to the development of Vietnam and the country's integration into the international community.

As one of the best Vietnamese students in French, in 1964, Ninh involved in teaching at the Pedagogical University in Fontenay-aux-Roses, Paris. From 1969 to 1972, she taught English literature at the University of Paris III.

Returning to Vietnam in 1972, Ninh continued teaching until 1979 in Ho Chi Minh City Pedagogical University. After that, she assumed the position of the Chief of the International Organizations Department (Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and the Assistant to the Foreign Minister.

She contributed to Vietnam’s participation in multilateral organizations (the UN, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Francophone Community and ASEAN) and was in charged of global affairs.

Madam Ninh is one of the main organizers of the Francophone Summit in Hanoi in 1997. From 2000 to 2003, she was the Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium and Luxembourg, Head of the Vietnamese Delegation to the European Commission.

She was the National Assembly deputy from 2003 to 2007, Vice Chair of the National Assembly's Foreign Relations Committee, in charge of North America and Western Europe.

In 2007, she was the founding president of the Tri Viet International University, participated in the establishment of the "global network of Vietnamese women." She also played a huge role in improving and promoting the role of women in Vietnamese society.

The Legion of Honour is the highest medal of the French Republic. Initiated by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802, the medal is awarded to individuals, military officers or civilians, who have "outstanding contribution" to the country.

PV