**The ceremony to present the Leo Tolstoy International Peace Prize to General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President of Vietnam To Lam took place in the St Andrew Hall of the Grand Kremlin Palace.**
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> We fully support the unanimous decision of the international jury to award this year's Tolstoy Peace Prize to Vietnam's leader, Comrade To Lam, and, through him, to the entire Vietnamese nation. To Lam is a highly respected and forward-looking statesman, a true patriot who has dedicated himself to serving his homeland and defending its national interests.
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>  I also regard this award as meaningful recognition of your personal contribution, Comrade To Lam, to enhancing friendship and mutual understanding between Russia and Vietnam. As a steadfast and consistent advocate of the Russia-Vietnam strategic partnership, you are personally supervising the advancement of direct political, economic, and humanitarian contacts between our countries.