(VNF) - A delegation of the Argentina-Vietnam Cultural Institute (Instituto de Cultura Argentino Vietnamita - ICAV), led by its President Poldi Maria Sosa Schmidt, had a meeting with Vice President in-charge and General Secretary of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisation (VUFO), Don Tuan Phong in Hanoi on February 7^th.

At the meeting.

At the meeting, Phong welcomed President Poldi Sosa Schmidt and the delegates who had a special visit to Vietnam in the Lunar New Year holiday. He emphasised the support and help of Argentinian people for Vietnam in war as well as in the reconstruction process and building the country today.

He expressed his gratitude to ICAV for its people-to-people diplomacy and cultural exchange with Vietnam over the past 20 years, especially its support for the activities of VUFO as well as ICAV’s valuable contributions to promote the images of the Vietnamese land and people in Argentina.

On the occasion of its 20^th founding anniversary (1997-2017), Vietnamese Ambassador to Argentina Dang Xuan Dung presented the VUFO’s certificate of merit to the ICAV and the “For Peace and Friendship among Nations” insignia to Schmidt, he added.

He expressed his wish that the ICAV will continue to persify its activities to foster the friendship and solidarity between the two countries and their peoples.

The VUFO Vice President said the ICAV delegation’s visit contributes to strengthening the cooperation between Vietnam and Argentina, adding that culture is a bridge for the friendship among nations in the world.

The ICAV president, for her part, wished that Vietnam would establish a Vietnam – Argentina Friendship Association in the near future to bolster friendly ties between ICAV and VUFO, contributing to people-to-people diplomacy between the two peoples.

She informed her host that the ICAV delegation held a working session with the Vietnamese National Assembly’s Committee for External Relations to learn about the function, task and apparatus of the legislature and visited craft villages.

Apart from introducing Argentine culture in Vietnam and Vietnamese culture in Argentina, the ICAV also offers support to Vietnamese embassy staff and Vietnam News Agency reporters working in the South American country.

The Argentinian delegates all emphasised the need to increase activities such as exhibitions, talks and cultural exchanges to enhance mutual understanding between the people of the two countries.

Delegates pose for a group photo.

VUFO Vice President Don Tuan Phong emphasised that, in the coming time, VUFO will actively study and prepare for the establishment of a Vietnam - Latin American friendship and cooperation association to work out a common plan of action and promote the development of future cooperation between Vietnam and Latin American countries.

He expressed his hope that ICAV would continue to work as a bridge for Vietnam to establish relations with partners in Argentina and other South American countries.

Founded in 1997, ICAV has been contributing significantly to the development of the friendship between Vietnam and Argentina.

In over the last 20 years, a variety of exchange activities were held by the Institute, including shows of Ao dai (Vietnam traditional long dress), tourism fairs, traditional dance, theatre and music performances, as well as culinary art and Vietnamese talk shows, film screenings and seminars./.

Minh Chau