HAUFO ACTIVITIES
Immersed in the jubilant atmosphere of the 56th anniversary of the establishment of ASEAN and the 78th anniversary of the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organizations (HAUFO) successfully organized an International Art Exchange in their celebration.
The cultural exchange night left a lasting impression on international friends with its remarkable performances, meticulous staging, and diverse showcase of ASEAN countries’ cultural heritage. From the traditional costumes of ASEAN nations to the captivating songs ò Thailand, Laos, and East Timor, as well as the Vietnamese enchanting dance performance of “Co doi thuong ngan,(2nd Lady of the cult of Holy Mothers) the event truly captivated the hearts of the international community.
Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Ky, Chairman of HAUFO delivered an opening speech at the program
Mr. Denny Abdi, the Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam and the current rotating Chairman of ASEAN, highly praised the program done by HAUFO. He believes that along with other ongoing activities, the cultural exchange night is a sincere commitment of the Vietnamese people, especially the people of Hanoi, to strengthen friendship and relations with the peoples of ASEAN countries. While political aspects contribute to regional stability and economic aspects contribute to prosperity, it is the socio-cultural aspect that makes the region stronger and closer. Therefore, raising awareness of ASEAN’s identity and promoting ASEAN’s unity in the context of cultural diversity is the key to building the ASEAN Community.
Mr. Denny Abdi, Indonesian Ambassador delivered a speech at the program
Currently, ASEAN covers an area of 4.5 million km2 with a population of over 664 million, accounting for about 8.4% of the world’s population; it is a region with diverse cultures. This was showcased in the afore-said program through unique traditional costumes and graceful dances performed by non-professional artists from ASEAN embassies. According to the Indonesian Ambassador, after 56 years of establishment and development, ASEAN has achieved many accomplishments. The people of ASEAN member countries have enjoyed sustainable benefits. ASEAN citizens live peacefully together in a harmonious environment, with a significantly improved standard of living, as evidenced by the per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increasing from $122 in 1967 to $5,024 at present. Within just 10 years, Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows into ASEAN have increased by 50%. This demonstrates the political stability in ASEAN member countries. The success of ASEAN would not be achieved without a solid foundation at the most basic level, which is the cultural-social pillar. Cooperation and support within the region will not be meaningful if people in the member countries do not understand each other and lack awareness of ASEAN’s essence.
A performance by the Embassy of Indonesia
Since joining ASEAN in 1995, with the motto “ Being proactive, proactive, and responsible,” Vietnam has made significant contributions to maintaining unity, solidarity, and strengthening the key role of the association for peace, stability, cooperation, and development in the region. In addition, Vietnam also demonstrated its significance in defining goals, building development orientations, and formulating major ASEAN policies such as the ASEAN Vision 2020, ASEAN Charter, ASEAN Vision 2025 Community, and comprehensive community-building plans. Vietnam contributes its share to implementing these plans across all pillars of the community and many other important agreements. This is consistent with the foreign policy directions of our Party and State in the new context.
A performance by the Embassy of Laos
In recent years, people-to-people diplomacy, one of the pillars of Vietnam’s foreign affairs, has played a crucial role in maintaining and promoting solidarity within the ASEAN community. It has been implemented in various fields with diverse activities. One of the proposed solutions for people-to-people diplomacy is to innovate the mode of its activities, and expand its scope, partnerships, and participating forces, intertwining interests and trustworthiness, while promoting relations with neighboring countries, ASEAN association itself, and traditional friends in a more profound, substantial, and effective manner. According to HAUFO Chairman Nguyen Ngoc Ky, Vietnam’s accession to ASEAN as its seventh member in 1995 was an historic event for the Vietnamese nation in its relationship with ASEAN countries. With a proactive, positive, and responsible spirit, Vietnam has not only earnestly fulfilled its commitments and obligations as a member country but also made noteworthy contributions to the development and growth of ASEAN, which is recognized and much appreciated by countries within and outside the region. The comprehensive friendly cooperation among ASEAN member countries is increasingly developing, elevating cooperation across all three pillars of the ASEAN Community: Political-Security, Economic, Socio-Cultural, and aiming to build a united world for peace, friendship, cooperation, and co- development.
In this context, the Program of International Art Exchange as mentioned-above has become a highlight of Hanoi’s people-to-people diplomacy in the final phase of this year. It was an opportunity for international friends working in Vietnam to meet and exchange goodwill with the people of Hanoi. The title “City for Peace” awarded by UNESCO to Hanoi reflects the eternal desire for peace of the Vietnamese people, affirmed Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Ky.
In his response, Ambassador Denny Abdi from Indonesia expressed his belief that the International Art Exchange program, with the participation of representatives from ASEAN countries, is a highlight of the efforts to promote a culture of peace and tolerance. This occasion represents a significant step towards the shared efforts to enhance the awareness of people regarding ASEAN issues. This aligns with the theme for ASEAN 2023 initiated by Indonesia, “ASEAN Issues: The Focus of Growth.” He emphasized the importance of fostering friendship among our nations as a foundation for success in the region, enabling us to gain a deeper understanding of each other and ASEAN’s identity.
Quynh Duong