Buenos Aires (VNA)♎– Culture always serves as a bridge betweennations, fostering closer connection among them, Chairwoman of the Argentina-Vietnam Culture Institute (ICAV) Poldi SosaSchmidt told Vietnam News Agency in a recent interview in Buenos Aires.

Known as a great friendof the Vietnamese people, Poldi Sosa has dedicated 27 years since the establishment ofICAV to passionately introduce and popularise Vietnam's history, culture, andpeople to the Argentinean people. In 1967, Poldi Sosa wentto work in the UK where she first learned more about the war in Vietnam. Later,she actively joined movements protesting the war in Vietnam, alongside young peopleand students in the UK and France. Despite spending many years in Europe,Chile, Cuba, and eventually returning to her homeland in Argentina, she always keeps the impression of theindomitable spirit of the Vietnamese people's struggle against foreign invaders. Visiting Vietnam for thefirst time in 1997, she was invited by the Vietnam Women's Union to attend its eighthCongress to honour her contributions to the solidarity movement with Vietnam andVietnamese women in particular. Upon her return fromVietnam, she established the ICAV on December 18, 1997, with 25 members whoshared a deep affection for the Southeast Asian country. The mission of ICAV isto introduce the Argentinean culture to Vietnam and vice versa. Having made nearly 30 tripsto Vietnam with Argentine friends at the invitation of Vietnamese leadersand mass organisations, she expressed delight at witnessing firsthand the rapidand miraculous transformation in Vietnam over the past three decades under theleadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam. While highlighting the significanceof disseminating Vietnam's images, people, and culture, Poldi Sosa affirmed that alongside political, economic and trade diplomacy,cultural and people-to-people diplomacy play a crucial role in strengtheningsolidarity and friendship among nations. She was awarded the Friendship Order by the Vietnamese State during an official visit to Argentina in April 2023 by National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue. According to the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations, ICAVarranged visits to Vietnam for 21 delegations comprising parliamentarians,doctors, lawyers, and university professors and social activists from Argentinaduring 1997-2019 to gain insights into its history, culture, and socioeconomicdevelopment./.