Vietnam's To Lam Receives Lev Tolstoy International Peace Award in Russia

Vietnamese Party General Secretary and President To Lam attended and received the Lev N. Tolstoy International Peace Award in Moscow on September 9. The ceremony was also attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and senior officials from the Russian Federal Assembly. At the ceremony, To Lam stated, "This award is not only recognition of me personally but also reflects high appreciation for Vietnam's tradition of loving peace, its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, friendship, cooperation, and development, as well as Vietnam's contributions to peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region and the world." Vietnamese media reported him adding that under his leadership, Vietnam has become "one of the fastest-growing economies in the Asia-Pacific region while preserving its unique identity in the multipolar world." Meanwhile, a statement on the Kremlin's website said President Putin affirmed that the award is "recognition of Comrade To Lam's great contributions to strengthening friendship and mutual understanding between Russia and Vietnam." The Russian leader praised him as "a truly respected and visionary political leader, a genuine patriot who has chosen the path of devoted service to his homeland and the protection of national interests in his capacity as head of state, while pursuing a balanced domestic and foreign policy that contributes to consolidating an independent, sovereign Vietnam and ensuring stability and security in Asia and around the world." President Putin added that he considers the award "high appreciation for Comrade To Lam's significant personal contributions" to enhancing friendship and mutual understanding between the two countries. Following his state visit to Russia from September 7-9, To Lam was scheduled to travel to France to attend the Space Summit in Paris from September 9-12. The Lev N. Tolstoy International Peace Award was established in June 2022, four months after Russia launched its "special military operation" in Ukraine. Named after the renowned Russian writer Leo Tolstoy, the award is relatively new and currently has limited global recognition compared to established prizes like the Nobel Peace Prize. Previous recipients include the African Union and leaders of Central Asian countries. Since becoming General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam in August 2024, To Lam has emphasized political stability, security, economic growth, and expanded diplomacy as foundations for peace and development. He is also promoting administrative streamlining and aiming for double-digit growth to help Vietnam escape the middle-income trap and become a developed nation, while maintaining a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralism, diversification, and active international integration. Prior to To Lam's visit to Russia, Moscow announced in July that it would award the Lev N. Tolstoy International Peace Prize to the Vietnamese leader for "his great contributions to the cause of strengthening peace and cooperation between peoples." The award council, on its official website, stated that "under the leadership of Comrade To Lam, Vietnam has become one of the fastest-growing economies in the Asia-Pacific region, while preserving its unique identity in the multipolar world." The Lev N. Tolstoy International Peace Award was founded in June 2022, four months after President Vladimir Putin launched his "special military operation" in Ukraine. The award, named after Leo Tolstoy, the author of "War and Peace," is a figure considered a symbol of Russian culture. He also served as a military officer and participated in the Crimean War. "I know that in Vietnam, the literary and spiritual heritage of Tolstoy is always cherished," President Putin said at the award ceremony on September 9, which also marks the writer's birthday. Due to its short operational period and limited number of awards, this award is not yet widely recognized globally like older peace awards such as the Nobel Peace Prize, India's Gandhi Peace Prize, or South Korea's Seoul Peace Prize. Before To Lam, the award was presented to the African Union in 2023-2024. In 2025, it was awarded to the presidents of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Since becoming General Secretary in August 2024, To Lam has emphasized political stability, security, economic growth, and expanded diplomacy as the foundation for peace and development. Alongside streamlining the state apparatus, he promotes the goal of double-digit growth, aiming to lift Vietnam out of the middle-income trap and towards developed country status, while maintaining an independent, self-reliant, multilateral, and diversified foreign policy of active international integration. To Lam also frequently undertakes foreign trips and was the highest-ranking leader of the Vietnamese Party and State to attend and deliver a keynote speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's premier security and defense forum, in Singapore in late May. Before To Lam received the Lev N. Tolstoy International Peace Award in 2026, several Vietnamese organizations and individuals had also received awards organized by Russia. Most recently, on July 14, 2026, the Nhan Dan newspaper received an award at the international competition "Speak, Write, Think in Russian!" organized by the Moscow Union of Journalists and the Moscow city government. Earlier, in 2025, singer Duc Phuc won the championship of Intervision, a music competition revived by Russia amidst its ban from Eurovision. Intervision 2025 brought together artists from over 20 countries, primarily those considered "friendly" by Russia, such as China, Cuba, Belarus, Vietnam, and Venezuela. At the time, Ukraine called this musical event "a tool of hostile propaganda." In 2021, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation awarded the Lenin Prize to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Information Source: BBC Vietnamese