MoFA enhances ties with UNESCO to promote cultural diplomacy: Minister
To promote cultural diplomacy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) has proactively coordinated with international organisations, especially the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), said Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son speaks at the question-and-answer session on March 18. (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – To promote cultural diplomacy, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs(MoFA) has proactively coordinated with international organisations, especiallythe United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO),said Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son.
He madethe remark while responding to a legislator’s question about cultural diplomacyat a question-and-answer session on March 18 that was part of the 31st meeting of the NA Standing Committee.
Son notedthat cultural diplomacy has helped Vietnam not only introduce its land and people tothe international community but also acquire cultural quintessence of the worldvia cultural exchanges.
In thatspirit, the MoFA has proactively coordinated with international organisations,especially UNESCO. Among the seven most mechanisms of UNESCO, Vietnam has been electedto five, including the World Heritage Committee, helping the country enhancecultural cooperation with international friends, he emphasised.
At thenational level, the minister said, cultural diplomacy has helped make animpression of Vietnam’s friendliness. Recent externalactivities of senior leaders have also been highlighted with cultural diplomaticevents.
Localitiesnationwide have also paid attention to building and popularising their imagesthrough festivals, receiving high evaluation from international friends, hesaid.
With regard to heritagepreservation and promotion, Son said cultural heritage and the UNESCO-recognisedprojects are not only precious assets that clearly reflect the country’s culturalidentity but also hold global values. Therefore, promoting images of these heritagesaims to bring into play the soft power, raise the country’s stature in the internationalarena, and more importantly, contribute to socio-economic development.
The MoFA will propose policies to practically and effectively strengthen Vietnam’s cooperation with UNESCO and also askUNESCO to give guidance, he noted.
Talking about the MoFA’sefforts, the minister elaborated that ithas provided localities with information about things that need to be done topreserve and bring into play those heritages to serve sustainablesocioeconomic development. It has also invited many leaders of UNESCO to visitVietnam and worked with relevant parties to hold this organisation’s firstmeeting on cultural heritage preservation and promotion.
Besides, the MoFA hasassisted localities to compile dossiers seeking UNESCO’s recognition of moreheritages, and continued to introduce the country’s heritages to internationalfriends as has been thus custom thus far, according to the minister./.
Cultural diplomacy and people-to-people exchanges not only make an important contribution to elevating and spreading Vietnamese cultural values but also serve the foreign policy goals of both Vietnam and Malaysia, said Vietnamese Ambassador to Malaysia Dinh Ngoc Linh.
2023 was a successful year for Vietnam’s multilateral external relations and cultural diplomacy at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), according to former Permanent Representative of Vietnam to UNESCO Ambassador Le Thi Hong Van.
According to British researcher of Vietnamese politics and history Kyril Whittaker, Vietnamese culture is extraordinarily rich and diverse, likewise the Vietnamese people are extraordinarily creative and diverse.
The protection of Vietnamese citizens and legal entities abroad has been carried out effectively and obtained many important results, said Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son.
Foreign affairs and diplomacy have played a pioneering role in mobilising external resources to serve the country's socio-economic development, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son told a question and answer session at the National Assembly Standing Committee’s 31st sitting on March 18.
State President Luong Cuong’s trip once again reaffirmed the Party and State’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification and multilateralisation of relations. It also reflected the strong trend of enhanced cooperation among countries of the Global South in shaping a new, more multipolar, fair and equitable world order.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 9 inspected the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge, and surveyed a planned route for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway section running through the northern province of Phu Tho.
Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
The 500kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen power transmission line has a total investment of over 7.41 trillion VND (282.5 million USD), and a total length of 229.5 km, passing through 31 communes in the two provinces, and comprising 468 transmission tower foundations.
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The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
Vietnam pledges to do its utmost to build an ASEAN of solidarity, consensus, and unity in diversity, and to foster a fast and sustainable development path for ASEAN, grounded in science, technology, and innovation, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
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Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that the emulation and commendation work is a vital driver, fostering patriotism, dedication, and collective momentum in the run-up to the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress, Party congresses at all levels, and the 14th National Party Congress.
Emphasising the need for sustainable, long-term collaboration, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called on Japanese investors not only to bring in capital but also to share expertise and modern technology, especially in areas such as green transformation, the circular economy, and advanced corporate governance.
President Luong Cuong's activities during his state visit to Angola, the celebration of the financial sector's 80th traditional day, and the Foreign Ministry's flag-hoisting ceremony marking the 58th founding anniversary of ASEAN are among news highlights on August 8.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung praised the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ meaningful initiative, noting that the ASEAN Family Run was not only a sporting activity but also an opportunity for diplomats and their families to show unity, connection, and solidarity within the ASEAN family.
Politburo member, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 8 attended the first congress of the Party Organisation of Tay Ho ward of Hanoi for the 2025–2030 term, during which he called for fresh momentum to turn the ward into a model that takes the lead in all fields.
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The ASEAN flag-hoisting ceremony is observed by the 10 ASEAN member countries on August 8 every year, aiming to spread and promote the ASEAN identity and affirm the determination to unite and cooperate for the common aspiration of long-term peace and prosperity of Southeast Asian countries under the common roof of the ASEAN Community.
Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong highlighted ASEAN’s nearly six decades of development, during which the region transformed from division to harmony, from confrontation to cooperation, and from poverty to dynamic growth, becoming a global bright spot for regional cooperation.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son speaks at the question-and-answer session on March 18. (Photo: VNA) 
