Engineer Trinh Tan, of Vietnamese origin, is one of 38 citizens awarded the first-grade Medal of Merit of the Czech Republic.

Tan was honored for his positive contributions to strengthening the relationship between the Czech Republic and Vietnam, according to the Czech Government.

A ceremony to present the award to those who made important contributions to the European country in the past two years was held in Prague on March 8 (local time).

Trinh Tan (left) gives masks to support the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic in Ostrava.  Photo: Hong Ky

Tan, born in Vietnam’s northern province of Thai Binh, graduated from the Ostrava University of Mines and Technology. He is currently President of the Vietnamese association in North Morava and Ostrava.

When the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, Tan launched a campaign calling on the Vietnamese community to make tens of thousands of masks, protective gloves and financial assistance to hospitals, nursing centers and social welfare institutions in the European nation.

In an interview granted to the Vietnam News Agency (VNA), Tan said the Vietnamese community in the Moravian-Silesian Region in particular and the Czech Republic at large has made practical contributions to the country and the bilateral relations over the years.

Tan expressed his hope that the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic will continue to join hands with the host country’s authorities to build a community of solidarity so that the ethnic minorities councils in all Czech localities will have members of Vietnamese origin.

The engineer also expressed his honor to receive the noble award presented by the Czech President, sharing that this is the happiness of individuals and families, as well as the pride of the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic.

The honoring ceremony for people awarded the Medal of the Czech Republic is an event of special significance, usually held by the Czech state on the occasion of its national day of October 28 every year, but for the past two years, it has not been possible due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

In North Morava province, the community of more than 7,000 Vietnamese people is the third largest group after that of the Polish and the Slovak. Its members always actively participate in annual cultural activities in the locality and help nursing centers, orphanages, and disabled people in the area.