Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son (R) hosts a reception in Hanoi on March 27 for Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre Lazare Eloundou Assomo. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son hosted a reception in Hanoi on March 27 for Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre Lazare Eloundou Assomo, who is paying a visit to Vietnam.

Son stressed UNESCO’s important role in maintaining and consolidating peace, sustainable development and prosperity of countries worldwide, and in preserving and promoting heritage and cultural values of humankind in particular.

Vietnam has worked to contribute to major UNESCO mechanisms to which it is a member such as the Executive Board, the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, he said.

The minister noted that Vietnam always attaches importance to culture, considering it a spiritual foundation of the society, a target and momentum of national development.

He appreciated the support of Assomo himself and the centre for the recognition, conservation and promotion of cultural and natural heritages of Vietnam, saying he believes that the world heritages in Vietnam have significantly contributed to raising living standards of local residents as well as national socio-economic development.

For his part, Assomo expressed his good impression on Vietnam during his first visit, and lauded the country’s efforts in managing, conserving and promoting world heritage values.

He also highly valued Vietnam’s approach in ensuring the balance and harmony between heritage preservation and development, and called the country a model in heritage conservation and promotion.

Vietnam’s experience in this regard should be shared with other countries, he said.  

Assomo affirmed that the centre always accompanies and provides the best support for Vietnam in the conservation and promotion of world heritages; and commits to supporting Vietnam's world heritage nomination documents in the near future.

The centre will provide consultations for and assist the country in management, conservation and promotion of its eight global heritage sites and back its bid for a seat in the World Heritage Committee in the 2023-2027 tenure, he said.

Earlier on March 24, Assomo was received by Deputy Foreign Minister and Chairman of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO Ha Kim Ngoc, who underscored Vietnam's commitment to the conservation and preservation of world heritages for future generations.

Asomo, for his part, appreciated the attention of Vietnamese leaders and communities to the management, conservation and promotion of world heritage values. Vietnam is one of the typical countries with the effective implementation of the 1972 UNESCO Convention concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, he said.

ඣ The UNESCO official was on a Vietnam trip from March 24 to 27 at the invitation of Ngoc./.