The successful aerospace flight of the “Union-37” spaceship withcosmonauts Pham Tuan and Victor Gorbatko aboard from July 23-31, 1980,became a historical event and the pride of the two nations’ people, saidthe State President.

State President Nguyen MinhTriet delivered the remark while hosting a reception in Hanoi on July 22for Vietnam’s hero cosmonaut Pham Tuan and Russian hero spaceman VictorGorbatko on the 30 th anniversary of the successful aerospace flightjointly performed by the two nations.

PresidentTriet said the flight also made a glorious symbol for the 60-year-longtraditional friendship, comprehensive cooperation and strategicpartnership between Vietnam and the former Soviet Union and thecurrent Russia Federation.

The image of Pham Tuanand Gorbatko in space is also a proud memory for the two cosmonautsthemselves and has strengthened the Vietnamese people’s confidence inthe everlasting solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the twocountries, he said.

President Triet took thisoccasion to thank the people of the former Soviet Union and the currentRussian Federation for their valuable support and assistance to theVietnamese people during their past struggle for national independenceand the cause of national construction and development at present.

The Vietnamese people wish that the Russian Federation wouldfurther develop and play a more important role in the region and theworld, the State leader said.

Gorbatko recalled hismemories about the joint training and flight on the “Union-37” spaceshipwith Pham Tuan 30 years ago as well as his earlier visits to Vietnam.

The friendship sentiments between the families ofthe two cosmonauts in particular and between the two countries’ peoplesremain unchanged from 30 years ago, he said.

Onbehalf of the Russian cosmonauts’ federation, Gorbatko presented thePresident with a badge marking 50 years since astronaut Yuri Gagarinbecame the first person in the world to make a flight into space./.