Promoting friendship solidarity between Vietnam and foreign friends

Friday, 23/02/2018 21:55
In 2018, the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) will promote people-to-people diplomacy with neighbouring countries, widely popularize friendly relations and the Southeast Asia community with strategic partners, and define specific contents about people-to-people diplomacy in the fields of peace, solidarity, friendship, cultural cooperation and science-technology.


Vice President cum Secretary General of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Don Tuan Phong

On the occasion of the Lunar New Year 2018, Vice President cum Secretary General of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Don Tuan Phong had an interview with Vietnam News Agency about the prominent achievements of people-to-people diplomacy and directions for the coming time.

Reporter: 2017 witnessed successful activities with the highlight of widely and deeply realized Resolution 06-NQ/TW about the effective implementation of international economic integration, and maintenance of socio-politic stability as Vietnam joins new-generation free trade agreements. How did people-to-people diplomacy performed by VUFO contribute to the process?

Mr. Don Tuan Phong: Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on November 5th signed Resolution 06-NQ/TW which specifies international economic integration as one of the important driving forces for socio-economic development and increasing national combined strength; significantly contributing to the expansion of the relations between Vietnam and partners in depth and maintaining a peaceful and stable environment for national development and promoting the prestige and position of Vietnam on the international arena.

Currently, the regional and world situation sees changes and complicated events. Together with opportunities and advantages, Vietnam continues to face many difficulties and challenges in socio-economic development, the capacity of ensuring national defence-security, socio-economic stability and maintenance of peaceful environment. To thoroughly grasp the resolution, VUFO adopted activities, realized contents through establishing international partner networks, mobilizing friends all over the world to support Vietnam’s renewal and enhance cooperation and international integration.

In 2017, VUFO’s people-to-people activities continued to make significant achievements in various fields. Accordingly, the relations with external partners continued to be diversified and multilateralized. Relations with old friends who gave assistance to Vietnamese people in the two resistance wars were maintained and strengthened, while those with new friends were built and expanded. People-to-people activities also focused on neighbouring countries, Southeast Asia and countries which have strategic and comprehensive partnership with Vietnam.

In the work of foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs), VUFO continues to function as the central organ for the relations with and mobilization of aid from foreign NGOs and standing agency of the Committee for Foreign Non-Governmental Organizations Affairs. The mobilization of aid continued to be actively and comprehensively carried out at central and local levels.

Specifically, this year, VUFO has four additional new member organizations in Binh Phuoc, Tay Ninh, Hoa Binh and Son La, bringing its total members to 52 out of 63 provinces and cities; contributing to promoting people-to-people diplomacy work in localities.

Reporter: The mobilization of foreign NGOs continued to see positive changes in 2017. How do you assess these changes?

Mr. Don Tuan Phong: In 2017, we saw more than 2,000 programs and projects of foreign NGOs with a pledged aid of about USD280 million. Most of the programs and projects were realized in the fields of poverty reduction, socio-economic development and climate change response.

Although aid mobilization met difficulties over the past time, central and local agencies actively renewed methods, diversified aid sources, and actively introduced and mobilized organizations to provide assistance to socio-economic development and social welfare.

The national program for the aid promotion of foreign NGOs has ended the five-year period from 2013 to 2017. In general, basic objectives of the program achieved many results.

Many aid activities of foreign NGOs have been implemented in most of localities and fields of social life while aid activities of foreign NGOs focused on Vietnam’s prioritized fields such as health, education, agriculture –rural areas, social affairs, war consequences, environment and climate change response. The success of the program is thanks to the close collaboration of foreign NGOs with Vietnam’s ministries, departments and localities.

Reporter: In 2018, what duties will VUFO focus on to continue to make significant and effective contributions to people-to-people diplomacy?

Mr. Don Tuan Phong: This year, VUFO will enhance people-to-people friendship activities with neighbouring countries; widely popularize the friendship relation and the Southeast Asia community, especially stressing raising the awareness about ASEAN among people. With strategic partners, it will define specific contents on people-to-people diplomacy in the fields of peace, solidarity, friendship, cultural cooperation, science-technology, economics, trade and tourism and promote the country, people and development policies of Vietnam to foreign friends.

The review of the implementation of Directive 28 of the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee on improving the effectiveness of VUFO will be organized. This is an important document which contributes to proposing specific policies and solutions to improve the effectiveness of people-to-people diplomacy activities in the new situation.

In 2018, the Union will organize the sixth national congress for the 2018-2023 period in order to set orientations for the next 5 years and following years.

In the long term, VUFO continues to be a bridge connecting the young generation with people-to-people diplomacy work; fostering the friendship solidarity between Vietnam and the world. In addition, it will diversify strategic partnership by not only cooperating with traditional organizations but also expanding to other subjects such as enterprises, tourists, writers, researchers and scholars. All who care about the development of our country and love the tradition and culture of Vietnam should receive attention and understand more about the nation in the new situation.

Reporter: Thank you so much!

BTA

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