Hanoi (VNA) - State President Luong Cuong has urged authorities at all levels, sectors, localities, craft villages, and artisans to pay special attention to preserving and promoting national culture, ensuring traditional handicraft products reach out further with growing prestige and brand recognition in both domestic and international markets.

At a meeting in Hanoi on June 10 with standout artisans across the nation on the occasion of the 20th founding anniversary of the Vietnam Association of Crafts Villages, the State leader acknowledged and commended the achievements the association and artisans nationwide have obtained in recent times.

He also welcomed ministries, sectors and localities’ proposals to the Party and State to formulate policies and solutions aimed at restoring, preserving, honouring and developing traditional craft villages, creating livelihoods for people, and promoting the value of traditional handicrafts along with the cultural identity of craft villages in the country's international integration process.

President Cuong highlighted that the country is preparing to enter a new era – the era of prosperous and thriving development with many favourable conditions and opportunities, interwoven with significant difficulties and challenges. The State leader noted that the handicraft industry is facing fierce competition due to the increasingly high demands of international integration and national development.

While many important and commendable results have been achieved, he emphasised the need to acknowledge that production and business activities in craft villages still have considerable shortcomings and difficulties that need to be resolved.

According to the State President, the creativity and talent of artisans are the most important factors creating uniqueness and sustainable value for traditional handicraft products, he said, laying stress on the need to step up vocational training, promote startup spirit, and take care of the spiritual and material life of the craftsmen.

Due attention must be paid to trade promotion, environmental protection in craft villages, implementation of sustainable economic development models, including green economy and circular economy approaches. Craft development should go hand in hand with sustainable development, ensuring social welfare and improving safe living quality for people in craft villages.

He also called for accompanying and supporting craft villages, encouraging national pride, honouring and motivating artisans and skilled craftspeople, especially the younger generation, to maintain, preserve and promote traditional crafts. President Cuong emphasised that traditional craft villages serve as the cradle of pure Vietnamese culture. These villages produce handicrafts that not only have use value but also artistic value, showcasing the skills, creativity, and ingenuity of Vietnamese artisans. At the same time, they generate jobs for millions of labourers, contribute to economic restructuring, drive socio-economic development, and enhance international integration.

The President affirmed that the Party and State have always paid close attention to and highly valued the development of craft villages and artisans. Numerous guidelines and policies have been issued to provide opportunities for artisans to grow, express their talent and creativity, and preserve traditional cultural products rich in identity. These products meet domestic consumption demands and expand into international markets, contributing positively to economic growth, new-style rural area development, social welfare, and the building of an advanced Vietnamese culture deeply imbued with national identity.

Expressing his delight at the strong development of the artisan community, President Cuong stressed that despite significant challenges in domestic and global markets, artisans and craft villages have shown dedication, responsibility, and burning passion for their crafts. They have united, overcome difficulties, improved product quality, sought out new markets, and made important strides in development.

At the meeting, Trinh Quoc Dat, Chairman of the Vietnam Association of Crafts Villages, said Vietnam’s craft villages hold an important place in the country’s economic and cultural life. Their products are imbued with regional cultural identity and preserve the time-honoured heritage of the Vietnamese people. Traditional crafts passed down through generations have been refined and developed into invaluable national assets. Thanks to the attention of the Party and State, Vietnam’s craft villages have seen remarkable recovery and growth over nearly 40 years of renewal.

Vietnam is now home to 5,411 craft villages and villages with traditional occupations. Over the past 20 years, with over 13,000 individual and collective members, the association has undertaken numerous activities to support its members, promote craft village brands, and help overcome difficulties. It has organised trade promotion events, supported product development for domestic and export markets, and gathered members' feedback for the building and enforcement of policies and laws. The association has also made practical contributions to the new-style rural area development movement, cultural preservation, and the advancement of economic, trade, and tourism sectors, thereby improving income and living standards for people in craft villages.

♚ The association has also played a key role in preserving and promoting the value of traditional crafts, stepping up vocational training for rural workers, carrying out hundreds of training sessions and programmes such as business start-up and business management, helping craft village enterprises operate more efficiently. Many artisans have been honuored with the titles of “People’s Artisan” and “Meritorious Artisan.”/.