On the afternoon of February 7, at the headquarters of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), a meeting and exchange took place between Lieutenant General, Hero of the People's Armed Forces Pham Tuan - the first Vietnamese and Asian to fly into space in 1980 in the Interkosmos program of the Soviet Union, Ms. Amanda Nguyen - the first Vietnamese-American astronaut to fly into space, along with young officers of the Air Defense - Air Force Service, union members, youth of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and students of the Diplomatic Academy.
Also attending were Ambassador Pham Thi Kim Hoa - Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, Mr. Nguyen Hoai Anh - Deputy Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs and representatives of the Leaders of the Political Department, Air Defense - Air Force Service.
In the friendly atmosphere of the exchange, Ambassador Pham Thi Kim Hoa emphasized the special meaning of the exchange because it created a meaningful meeting moment between two generations: From the brave hero who opened the first doors, to the young people today who are following in their footsteps and continuing to write that journey, thereby inspiring generations of Vietnamese people at home and abroad.
Speaking at the exchange, Ms. Amanda Nguyen expressed her emotion when returning to Vietnam, sharing about the space flight, the story of carrying lotus seeds that she received from the Vietnam Space Center to bring into space for experiments, as well as the congratulatory letter from the President sent to her after the flight.
Citing Lieutenant General Pham Tuan's saying: "Looking down from the universe, homeland is not Vietnam, Russia or any country, but Earth," Ms. Amanda Nguyen further explained that science and technology have helped people have that perspective.
According to Amanda, science and technology are the common language of humanity, a bridge promoting dialogue, cooperation and reconciliation between nations. From space looking down, Earth appears as a "faint blue dot in the vast universe" - a unified whole, where there is no dividing line, but only a human community sharing the responsibility of protecting the planet and building a common future.
Sharing with the young generation, Lieutenant General Pham Tuan recalled the historic flight 46 years ago (1980) and the journey from a war fighter pilot, who once confronted the US Air Force, to today being able to shake hands and chat intimately with international friends for peace and development.
Lieutenant General emphasized President Ho Chi Minh's advice to the young generation: "As Vietnamese people, we must promote Vietnamese traditions and complete assigned tasks well." At the same time, Lieutenant General Pham Tuan recounted harsh training exercises and dangerous situations during flight, thereby emphasizing the bravery, discipline and calmness of pilots and astronauts.
Sending to the young generation, Lieutenant General said that it is important to properly assess oneself to choose the right path, and at the same time promote the role of creativity in the era of artificial intelligence, considering this as the key for each individual and country to find their own path.
At the meeting, Ms. Amanda Nguyen respectfully presented Lieutenant General Pham Tuan with the space flight badge that she used in the space flight.
On this occasion, Lieutenant General Pham Tuan also presented Ms. Amanda Nguyen with a commemorative book marking his historic flight, as a symbol of continuity between generations of Vietnamese astronauts.
