Czech - Vietnam Friendship Association Urged to Continue Promoting Bilateral Ties
	VUFO Through the Perspective of Partners and Friends

President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations Phan Anh Son. (Photo: VNA)

- What are the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations' outstanding achievements in people-to-people foreign affairs in 2024?

2024 has been a year of comprehensive and effective implementation of foreign affairs by the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations. We organized 43 outbound delegations, 28 inbound delegations, over 1,000 on-site foreign affairs activities, and 5 international conferences and seminars. Our participation in high-level foreign affairs activities of Party and State leaders stood out.

We accompanied 7 high-level delegations of Party and State leaders on working visits to 9 countries. During these visits, we coordinated and chaired 9 activities where our Party and State leaders met with friends and people from other countries, as well as leaders from other countries meeting the people of Vietnam.

People-to-people diplomacy activities within the framework of high-level diplomacy not only demonstrate the importance that Party and State leaders place on people-to-people diplomacy in general and the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations in particular, but also highlight the Party, State, and people of Vietnam's appreciation for the sentiment, solidarity, support, and assistance from the people of other countries, contributing to building a positive and favorable social foundation for Vietnam's relations with people from other nations.

In addition, we have hosted and coordinated the reception of numerous people-to-people delegations led by country leaders, former leaders, political party leaders, and leaders of ministries and sectors who pay working visits in Vietnam. We also organized various people-to-people diplomatic activities with key partners and introduced initiatives in democracy and human rights work.

Notably, we sent a delegation to attend the International Conference on Religion and the Rule of Law at BYU University (USA) and collaborated with several US agencies responsible for developing and issuing reports on religion and human rights. We also welcomed and arranged agenda for a delegation of international Protestant pastors and their families to visit and work in Vietnam, as well as hosted a delegation of young volunteers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

These activities have significantly contributed to enhancing understanding and cooperation between international religious organizations and Vietnam, "planting new seeds of friendship and cooperation" in the Vietnam-US relations.

In 2024, we also focused on diversifying people-to-people diplomacy activities to strengthen traditional education on friendly relations between Vietnam and other countries. We leveraged people-to-people diplomacy to connect investment cooperation between Vietnamese enterprises and businesses from other countries by sharing information with foreign investors about Vietnam's policies.

The Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations has excelled in expressing gratitude and honoring the contributions of international friends and partners by awarding the "For Peace and Friendship among Nations" Medal to 21 individuals, including Ambassadors, Consuls General, and other foreign dignitaries.

People-to-people's diplomacy in multilateral channels has also made a significant impact. The Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations and its member organizations have actively participated in and responsibly contributed to activities within the framework of traditional multilateral mechanisms and forums such as the United Nations, ASEAN, the World Peace Council, the Japan Peace Movement, the Global Esperanto Movement, and the World Social Forum. These efforts have not only safeguarded national interests, particularly in areas of democracy, human rights, and sovereignty over seas and islands but also contributed to the global movement for peace and sustainable development.

- One of the key objectives of people's diplomacy is to mobilize foreign resources and support overseas Vietnamese, thereby contributing positively to socio-economic development. Could you provide specific details about the results achieved by the Union and its member organizations in implementing this task over the past year?

Regarding the mobilization of foreign resources, especially through foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs), it is estimated that in 2024, the total value of aid disbursement reaches about USD 230 million. Responding to the call from the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, foreign NGOs provided aid to overcome the consequences of Storm No. 3 -Yagi in cash and in kind, with a converted value of nearly VND 220 billion.

This result is significant, as these funds are invested in projects in the fields of health, education, capacity development, hunger eradication, and poverty reduction. The beneficiaries include the elderly, women, children, people with disabilities, and those in remote, border, and particularly difficult areas.

Throughout the year, foreign NGOs relating to overseas Vietnamese provided about USD 10 million in aid to programs and projects in Vietnam. Among more than 300 foreign NGOs operating in Vietnam, 44 have founders, presidents, chief representatives, or persons responsible for activities in Vietnam who are overseas Vietnamese. These organizations have implemented numerous programs, projects, and non-projects to support development in Vietnam. They have actively participated in the "Eliminate Temporary and Dilapidated Houses" movement launched by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. Many organizations have expressed interest, conducted initial surveys in localities, and made aid commitments for 2025.

Through people-to-people diplomacy activities, they have mobilized 2 million Vietnamese people in the United States and nearly 30,000 students studying there to comply with local laws and contribute to the country's development. These individuals act as goodwill ambassadors of Vietnam in their host countries, serving as bridges to promote bilateral relations.

- In the new context and to meet the requirements of the new era, what are the overall goals, tasks, and directions of people's diplomacy in 2025?

Vietnamese people's diplomacy, including organizations under the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, has accompanied the country through various eras, making significant contributions to the resistance wars for national independence and reunification, resolving the consequences of war, and building and developing the nation.

Following the remarkable achievements of nearly 40 years of Doi Moi, and in the context that "the world is in a period of epochal change, our country is at a new historical starting point, a new era, an era of the Vietnamese people's rise," as assessed by General Secretary To Lam, the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations aims to promote tradition, leverage the country's potential and position, and capitalize on the advantages of people-to-people diplomacy to effectively support the Party's foreign affairs and State diplomacy.

The Union will focus on effectively implementing foreign affairs activities according to the assigned plan. This includes proactively advising Party and State leaders to participate in and organize people-to-people foreign affairs activities within the framework of high-level foreign affairs, implementing activities associated with major national holidays, celebrating diplomatic relations with countries around the world, diversifying people-to-people foreign affairs activities, and participating more actively and responsibly in multilateral forums.

We will prioritize organizing key activities, such as the 7th National Congress of Delegates and the 5th International Conference on Strengthening Cooperation with Foreign Non-Governmental Organizations and International Partners.

To achieve these goals, the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations needs to innovate more strongly in thinking and approach and be more creative in implementing and organizing foreign affairs activities. It is essential to "dare to think, dare to do, and go beyond the framework of old thinking and familiar fields to generate thoughts and actions beyond the national level, reaching regional and international levels," as directed by the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

Additionally, we will continue to consolidate and organize the Union at central and local levels to be elite, streamlined, strong, effective, efficient, and unified. We will also build and deploy training programs suitable for each group of cadres and civil servants.

On the occasion of the Lunar New Year 2025, on behalf of the Party Union, Party Committee, and Leaders of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, I extend my best wishes to all those engaged in people-to-people diplomacy. I hope and believe that people-to-people diplomacy will successfully achieve its set goals and tasks, contributing alongside the entire Party, people, and army to consolidate the remarkable achievements of 40 years of renovation led by the Party. Together, we are ready to usher the country into a new era - the era of nation's rise.

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