State President Nguyen Minh Triet presented the Friendship Order andVietnamese nationality to Kostas Sarantidis, a Greek citizen, inHanoi on Jan. 7.

Sarantidis, who has Vietnamese name as Nguyen Van Lap and is a warveteran of the Vietnamese People’s Army Regiment 803 Inter-Zone 5,received the distinction in recognition of his great contributionsduring his services in the Vietnamese People’s Army and other fieldsfrom 1946-1965 and to boosting friendship between Vietnam and Greece.

PresidentTriet attributed Vietnam ’s achievements in national constructionand development partly to devotion by people like Sarantidis. He was acomrade of the Vietnamese nation who supported the just cause and madecontributions to the construction of the country, the President said.

Returningto Greece in late 1965, Sarantidis organised many activitiessupporting Vietnam , acting as a bridge linking the two countries.

Atthe presentation ceremony, Sarantidis (Nguyen Van Lap) expressed histhanks to the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Vietnamese People’sArmy for training him during 13 years of fighting and six years in otherfields.

“Today is another happy day in my life of attaching toVietnam after my first opportunity of joining the Vietnamese People’sArmy in June, 1946. Receiving Vietnamese nationality was a great honourand my aspiration of becoming a Vietnamese citizen was reached,”Sarantidis said./.