Transcript of the Discussions Held on the Occasion of the Reception by Comrade Nicolae Ceausescu of the Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in Bucharest, Hoang Tu

The discussions began at 9 o’clock and lasted 25 minutes.

Cde. Hoang Tu: Esteemed comrade secretary general, I want to address a salutation and to wish you health and success in your work. Please also transmit our salute to your wife.

Recently, I returned home, where I was on the occasion of the visit of the Romanian party and government delegation to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The party, government and Vietnamese people have given a high assessment to the visit of the Romanian delegation in Vietnam. Through this visit, the relations of friendship and collaboration that exist between Vietnam and Romania continue to develop and strengthen. Our entire population is very enthusiastic about this visit.

When I left Hanoi, comrade Ho Chi Minh gave me the task of sending you his warm greetings and at the same time, bringing on his behalf a piece of the 1,000^th American aircraft shot down over the territory of D.R. Vietnam.

Cde. Nicolae Ceasescu: Thank you.

Cde. Hoang Tu: We consider this a success of the Vietnamese people and of all of the peoples of the socialist camp.

Cde. Nicolae Ceasescu: I would first like to thank you for the greetings sent by comrade Ho Chi Minh and to ask the comrade ambassador to transmit to comrade Ho Chi Minh many wishes of health and success in the work and the struggle conducted by the Vietnamese people. We are gladdened by the success that the Vietnamese people has in its struggle against American imperialism and I consider this gift as a symbol of our solidarity in the struggle.

We are very satisfied about the way in which our delegation was received in Vietnam, of the fact that the Vietnamese comrades could observe also on the occasion of this visit the expression of solidarity for the struggle of the Vietnamese people from our people and party. I must tell you that our comrades returned very enthusiastic about what they had seen in Vietnam and about the determination of the Vietnamese people to fight until victory. As we have said many times before, we accord all assistance to the struggle of the Vietnamese people and we are convinced that victory will be on its side.

Certainly, the unity of all of the socialist countries has a great role in this. With all of the divergences between the socialist countries, nevertheless, we consider that it will succeed in achieving more united action of all of the socialist countries with the help of the Vietnamese people. As our delegation discussed with the Vietnamese leadership, we must exert efforts to this end. The Vietnamese comrades can do much this direction; and we can help in some measure as well.

When comrade Brezhnev was here, we insisted much on this problem, on the necessity of intensifying aid for the Vietnamese people from the point of view of political activities along all paths, in order to mobilize peoples against American imperialism. We want to discuss this problem also with the Chinese comrades when they come here. It would be well to manage to hold a meeting of the socialist countries, in connection with the intensification of the support for the Vietnamese people.

Yesterday, for example, we spoke with the Shah of Iran and among other things we also raised the problem of the American aggression in Vietnam. I must tell you that he was completely in agreement that the Vietnamese people should be left to resolve their own problems, without interference from abroad and that all foreign troops should be withdrawn from Vietnam. That means that more and more peoples understand the justice of the struggle of the Vietnamese people and support it. At a certain moment the Shah even said: In the end, if the communists win in South Vietnam, that is the affair of the Vietnamese; no one else should interfere there. A king said this, which means that things are beginning to be better understood.

I have remarked on this in order to underscore that if the socialist countries would act more decisively and in closer union they could mobilize other peoples in the struggle against the Americans and for the assistance of the Vietnamese.

Regarding our situation in the country, things go well. As you see, we have a lot of rain; we have had floods in a couple of regions, however, in general, the rain is good, it helps us to have a good harvest.

As comrade Bodnaras told you yesterday, at the beginning of July we will receive in Bucharest representative of the socialist countries who are members of CMEA and of the [Warsaw Pact’s] Political Consultative Committee. If the Chinese, Albanian and Korean comrades agree, we will happily receive them as well. We consider useful the participation of these three socialist countries as observers in the Political Consultative Committee.

This, these are the problems with which we are currently occupied.

Cde. Hoang Tu: Comrade general secretary, from conversations with the Romanian delegation that visited Vietnam, we have noted an identity of points of view. The Vietnamese side considers that although there are divergences between socialist countries, nevertheless, unity is necessary.

Regarding the eventual participation of all of the socialist countries at a conference on the problem of Vietnam, the Vietnamese side agrees. We desire a common voice of the socialist countries on the Vietnamese problem, even though there are certain difficulties in achieving this.

Cde. Nicolae Ceasescu: We should exert efforts together in order to surmount them.

Cde. Hoang Tu: That which comrade Bodnaras communicated to me yesterday, I have already transmitted home and, when I receive a response, I will communicate it to you immediately.

Cde. Nicolae Ceasescu:  We seek to express our position on the problem of Vietnam to all of the countries with which our representatives meet. Just as we have done with the Shah of Iran.

We had a meeting with the undersecretary of state of the Italian Foreign Ministry. We found a certain understand among the Italians and they also pronounce for an end to the American aggression in Vietnam. As I also told [Mario] Zagari: you are in NATO; tell you partners to stop the aggression in Vietnam. And he promised that he would tell them.

Cde. Hoang Tu: Again, in all sincerity we thank you, comrade general secretary, for the support of the party leadership and of the Romanian state for our position and our just cause.

Cde. Nicolae Ceasescu:   And I thank you again for this gift and I ask you to transmit wishes of health to comrade Ho Chi Minh and to the other comrades, and wishes of success in the work of the Vietnamese people.

Likewise, I thank comrade ambassador for the greetings that he transmitted to me and to my wife and I ask him to send many greetings to his wife on the behalf of myself and my wife.

Mc/2 ex.