Today, this Friday April 4, 2008 — the day after His Royal Highness Crown Prince Nicolas Petrovitch Njegosh visited the headquarters of the Italian Red Cross — took place in Rome, Italy, an exchange of protocols between the Royal House of Montenegro and the Imperial House of Vietnam in order to bind them together by reciprocal ties.

The formal ceremony started by the investiture of Crown Prince Nicolas with the insignia of Grand Cordon in the Imperial Order of the Dragon of Annam (GCDA), presented in absentia to the Grand Chancellery of the Royal House Orders of Montenegro by H.E. Don Alfredo Escudero y Díaz-Madroñero, Marquis of Gori and Count of San Andrés (GCDA), National Delegate of the Imperial Order of the Dragon of Annam for Spain.

Reciprocally, the Grand Chancellery of the Royal House Orders of Montenegro presented in absentia to H.E. Don Alfredo Escudero y Díaz-Madroñero the insignia of Knight Grand Cross in the Order of Danilo I for H.I.H. Prince Nguyễn Phúc Bảo Vang, Grand Master of the Imperial Order of the Dragon of Annam.

On the occasion, several Officiers of the Grand Council of the Imperial Order of the Dragon of Annam were also awarded.

The Imperial Order of the Dragon of Annam was established on March 14, 1886 by Emperor Đồng Khánh (º1885, †1889) — 9th Emperor of the Nguyễn Dynasty of Annam [1], placed on the throne of Annam by the French Colonial Administration — and jointly awarded as a French colonial and a dynastic order.
After French colonial rule over Indochina ended, and the Order be irrevocably returned to the rightful possession of the Head of the Imperial Nguyễn Dynasty, it is nowadays awarded for meritorious acts of charity focused on humanitarian aid and assistance.
The Order has its seat in Paris, France, and is registered as a legal corporate entity as the “I.O.D.A. Foundation” in the State of Texas, USA.