Paris Peace Accords: Looking back at past to treasure peace

TOKYO — A look back at the Paris Agreement on Ending the War and Restoring in Việt Nam (Paris Peace Accords) on the 50th anniversary of its signing reminds us to treasure peace at present, according to Motoyoshi Ryokichi, former General Secretary of the Japan-Vietnam Friendship Association. Talking to the Vietnam News Agency, he recalled that following the signing of the agreement on January 27, 1973, peace-loving people in Japan and other countries worldwide expressed their optimism that peace will soon be restored in the Southeast Asian nation. The accord helped to consolidate peace-loving people’s confidence, while serving as a source of encouragement for oppressed nations to stand up, fighting for national independence, he said. He held that the core element of the Paris Agreement was that the Vietnamese people regained the right to self-determination over their nation's destiny, thereby spreading the spirit around the world. From this perspective, it can be said that the victory of the Vietnamese people has gone down in the world’s history, he affirmed.