The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to direct the Vietnamese Embassy in France and the Delegation of Vietnam to UNESCO to coordinate with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) and relevant agencies to implement procedures to bring the Nguyen Dynasty’s imperial seal 'Hoang de chi bao' (Treasure of the Emperor) from France to Vietnam as soon as possible, said spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang.

At a regular press conference of the ministry in Hanoi on November 17, Hang said recently, under the Government’s timely direction, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Vietnamese Embassy in France and the Delegation of Vietnam to UNESCO have worked on all channels to proposed interventions to stop the auction of the seal and ownership transfer to the Vietnamese side. They exchanged diplomatic letters and notes; officially contacted and met with the diplomatic advisor of the French President,  the French Ministries of Foreign Affairs, and of Culture, UNESCO leaders, and other relevant specialised departments.

“We have also discussed with the French auction house Millon and consulted organisations specialising in cultural and artistic heritage, and individuals involved to acquire information and notify relevant agencies in Vietnam, creating a basis for negotiations,” the spokeswoman said.

On October 19, Millon announced its auction of 329 antiquities, including two dating back to the Nguyen Dynasty (1802-1945) – a golden seal made in 1823 under the reign of King Minh Mang (1820 - 1841) and a golden bowl made under the reign of King Khai Dinh (1917-925).

After the confirmation of the authenticity of the seal, a Vietnamese inter-ministerial delegation and the auction house agreed to transfer them. The MCST said on November 14 that the sides agreed to carry out relevant legal processes and procedures for the repatriation of the seal to Vietnam in accordance with the laws of both nations, in the spirit of their mutual understanding and the Vietnam-France friendship and relationship./.