The Vietnamese Embassy in Greece has conferred the Vietnamese State’s title Hero of the People’s Armed Forces on Kostas Sarantiris, alias Nguyen Van Lap. At the ceremony recently held in Athens, ambassador Vu Binh acknowledged Sarantiris’s contribution to Vietnam’s past struggle for national independence, freedom and unification, and his tireless support for the Vietnamese community in Greece. Binh stressed that the title was an honour for both Sarantiris and his family, and the whole Vietnamese community in Greece, as well as Greek friends of Vietnam. Born in 1927, Kostas Sarantiris was among the troops invading Vietnam in 1946. After landing in Vietnam, he saw with his own eyes the troops’ brutal acts against innocent Vietnamese people. Realising the true nature of the crusade, as well as the just resistance war by Vietnamese people, he followed the Viet Minh Front of the Communist Party of Vietnam. He always fulfilled serious tasks entrusted to him. He was awarded many precious titles by the Vietnamese Party and State, including the Friendship Order in 2011. He also received a Vietnamese Passport bearing Vietnamese citizenship. He was the founder and president of the Greece-Vietnam Friendship Association in one term and now is the honourable president of the association. VOV