President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations, Vu Xuan Hong, recently presented the “For Peace and Friendship among Nations” insignia to Osmo Tapani Buller, General Director of the World Esperanto Association Central Office.
Mr Buller received the distinction for his valuable contributions to Vietnam during the war against the US, as well as to the Esperanto movement in Vietnam.
When he was a student, he took part in the Finnish people’s movement against the US war in Vietnam.
Joining a young Finnish people’s Esperanto movement, he paid attention to Vietnam’s Esperanto publications and mobilised Finland to support Vietnam. He also helped Vietnam publish over 100 Vietnamese books in Esperanto.
Speaking at the awards ceremony, Mr Buller expressed his pleasure at Vietnam’s achievements over 20 years of national renewal and pledged to actively cooperate with the Vietnam Esperanto Association to make preparations for the 97th Esperanto Congress to be held in Vietnam in 2012.
