HAUFO ACTIVITIES
With 57 years of development and growth, ASEAN today stands as a reputable and successful model of regional cooperation worldwide. This common ASEAN home binds over 650 million people from its 10 member states, with a rich cultural diversity, forming the world’s fifth-largest economic community.
Ambassador of Laos delivered a specch at the Festival
It is a trusted and important partner to many countries, playing a central role in critical dialogue, cooperation, and integration processes in the region.
Vietnam has been a part of ASEAN for nearly three decades, marking a journey of joint efforts toward a peaceful, harmonious, and prosperous Southeast Asia within the larger international community. From another perspective, ASEAN’s growth is intertwined with Vietnam’s development, each reflecting the other’s progress.
The activities celebrating ASEAN’s founding day are annually organized by the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organizations in collaboration with the embassies of ASEAN countries, embodying the consistent spirit of friendship, harmony, and peace for shared stability and prosperity.
The 2024 “ASEAN Colors” Cultural Friendship Festival is hosted at the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, commemorating the 57th anniversary of ASEAN’s founding, the 79th National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the 70th Anniversary of the Liberation of Hanoi, the 25th Anniversary of Hanoi being honored as a “City for Peace” by UNESCO, and celebrating the achievements of the 18th Congress of the Vietnam Fatherland Front of Hanoi. The festival is jointly organized by the Hanoi Union of Friendship Organizations in collaboration with the Embassy of Laos (the ASEAN rotating chair and AIPA 45 Chair) and other ASEAN countries, and supported by ICEP - Hanoi Classy, and the Vietnam External Communication Corporation.
The festival attracted thousands of delegates and visitors from both domestic and international backgrounds, including over 20 ambassadors and numerous officials from more than 40 embassies, all gathered to experience the ASEAN cultural space. During the opening ceremony, Nguyen Manh Quyen, Vice Chairman of Hanoi People’s Committee, emphasized that cooperation and regional linkage within ASEAN’s framework have always been one of Vietnam’s diversifying and multilateralizing foreign policy priorities. Vietnam is committed to contributing to a more cohesive and robust ASEAN, fostering bilateral and multilateral friendly relations with its member states.
The “ASEAN Colors” Cultural Friendship Festival offers international friends working in Vietnam an opportunity to meet and engage in friendly exchanges with the people of the capital.
Ambassador Khamphao Ernthavanh of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic to Vietnam highlighted Vietnam’s positive contributions to shaping the region’s future, noting that 2024 marks ASEAN’s 57th anniversary and is also a crucial year for Laos as it assumes the ASEAN Chair for the third time. Ambassador Khamphao Ernthavanh expressed confidence that with the strong support and cooperation of member and non-member countries, Laos will successfully fulfill its role as the ASEAN Chair in 2024.
Addressing Vietnam’s significant contribution, Ambassador Khamphao Ernthavanh underscored Vietnam’s resilience and determination in defending independence and freedom, advancing economic development, and preserving cultural values and heritage. Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam and a UNESCO-honored “City for Peace,” symbolizes the harmonious, diverse, and inclusive values that are core to ASEAN.
At the festival, international delegates and Hanoi’s citizens enjoyed unique artistic performances characteristic of each ASEAN nation and engaged in the cultural spaces of the event. The event featured several distinct areas such as the Integration Booth, Street Flavor Booth, and Village Scent Booths. It also included vibrant activities like traditional games and an award ceremony displaying winning artworks from the “I Love Hanoi – City for Peace” painting competition for Vietnamese and international children. Additionally, there was the ASEAN Cultural Colors photo exhibition with 57 photographs showcasing the countries, people, historical sites, landscapes, and cultural traditions of ASEAN, along with art exchanges and traditional costume displays from ASEAN countries.
Chav Channy, a Cambodian student, shared, “This is one of the largest cultural and political events I’ve participated in, where the colorful costumes from ASEAN countries have broadened my understanding of their cultural identities.”
Latsamy, a Laotian student at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, expressed pride in performing at the festival and delighted in showcasing traditional Laotian attire and other cultural nuances to international friends.
The “ASEAN Colors” Cultural Friendship Festival concluded with positive echoes and remarkable impressions, further strengthening the friendly relationships between Hanoi’s citizens, ASEAN member nations, and countries across the globe. It simultaneously ignites a passion to develop Hanoi as a “Civilized - Cultured - Modern” city, spreading the spirit of friendship and peace among the capital’s residents and international friends.
Nguyen Hien