On September 30, the Vietnam-Russian Federation Friendship Association held the 6th National Congress for the new term 2023-2028 in Hanoi. The Congress was attended by over 170 delegates representing thousands of members of the Association in 32 provinces and cities and 15 branches in agencies, units, schools, and liaison committees of those who have studied and worked in the Russian Federation.

The Congress was also attended by representatives of leaders of many Vietnamese ministries, agencies, and branches; the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to Vietnam Prof. Bezdetko; and the Delegation of the Friendship Association of the Russian Federation - Vietnam.

Cultural performance by Russian students.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha, Chairman of the Vietnam Subcommittee of the Vietnam - Russian Federation Intergovernmental Committee on Economic-Trade and Scientific-Technical Cooperation attended and delivered a directive speech at the Conference.

Vibrant people-to-people exchanges to strengthen the Vietnam-Russia friendship

According to the summary report presented at the Congress, for the 2016-2023 term, the Vietnam - Russian Federation Friendship Association from central to grassroots levels has organized diverse and practical activities in the field of people-to-people diplomacy. Thereby, strengthening cooperation with the Friendship Association of the Russian Federation - Vietnam and many other partners in Russia, enhancing mutual understanding between the people of the two countries, preserving and strengthening traditional friendship, and contributing to deepening the strategic partnership between Vietnam - Russia.

Many special and meaningful activities were held in collaboration with other partners, namely the national conferences of the Association alternately in localities; the "I draw Vietnam - I draw Russia" painting contest; translation from Russian into Vietnamese and publishing of a number of books, such as "Russians talk about President Ho Chi Minh", a collection of poems "Waiting for you" by Soviet and Russian authors about the great patriotic war 1941-1945, book on the role of people-to-people diplomacy in developing relations between Vietnam and the Russian Federation...

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the Association and its partners in Russia still maintained contact and communication in appropriate forms to share information and collaborate. After the pandemic, cooperative relations continued to be promoted.

Delegates took a photo at the Congress.

Attract young members to participate and contribute to the Association

According to Trinh Quoc Khanh, Standing Vice Chairman of the Association, in the next term, the Association will develop specific activity programs to enhance exchanges between the young generation, creating conditions for young people to promote and inherit pure and good relations between the two peoples. “The Association will reach out to young members from schools with Russian language training programs, localities with twinned relationships, a joint venture from Vietnam - Russian Federation, and the Vietnamese community living and working in Russia”, said Khanh.

Speaking at the Congress, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha praised the Association's exciting and practical activities. The Deputy Prime Minister requested the Association at the central, local, and grassroots levels to be more proactive in both strengthening friendships with old partners and building and expanding friendships with new partners in the Russian Federation to create a diverse network of friends and partners. Thereby, taking full advantage of the support, coordination, and cooperation from the people's organizations of the Russian Federation to expand international relations and advocacy, focusing on the young generation, press and media, scholars, and businesspeople.

Deputy Prime Minister Tran Hong Ha spoke at the Congress.

In addition, Deputy PM Tran Hong Ha pointed out that the Association needs to focus on expanding and developing its organization, attracting members, especially young members, students, intellectuals, and businessmen to participate in the association's work; promoting creativity and innovation in its activities to reach a wider audience, flexibly deploy exchange and cooperation, establish new cooperation channels in many specific fields.

Another focus is to create innovative content and form as well as improve the quality and effectiveness of information and propaganda work; and promote exchange activities in the fields of journalism, culture, literature, and art... so that Russian friends of all walks of life have a fuller and deeper understanding of Vietnam; deeply promote the image of the country, people, history, culture, and traditions of Vietnam through in-depth and practical activities and products.

The Association needs to gather a core force of members who are dedicated to people-to-people diplomacy activities, good at foreign languages, understand the national and international situation, know the country and people of Russia, have research skills, analyze and synthesize the situation to provide policy advice to the Party and State in the context of increasingly profound development of Vietnam-Russia relations in a world of complex and unpredictable changes.

According to President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations Phan Anh Son, during the 2016-2023 term, the Vietnam - Russian Federation Friendship Association has achieved many positive results in membership development; innovation in methods, and improvement in operational quality; as well as promoting foreign information and propaganda work. The Association also coordinated with the Russia - Vietnam Friendship Association and the Vietnamese community in the Russian Federation to organize many meaningful activities such as connecting businesses and partners of the two countries and chairing international conferences and forums...

VUFO President Phan Anh Son spoke at the Congress. (Photo: Thoi Dai)

The Association has contributed to the development and deepening of the traditional friendship between the people of Vietnam and the Russian Federation, making an important contribution to the implementation of foreign policies and tasks of the Party and State, strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

VUFO President Phan Anh Son believes that in the coming term, the Association will achieve many practical results, contributing to realizing the goals and tasks of people-to-people diplomacy, to building a comprehensive and modern Vietnamese diplomacy.

Speaking at the Congress, the Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Prof. Bezdetko highly appreciated the Association's role in contributing to promoting bilateral relations between Vietnam and Russia. In 2024, both countries will celebrate the 30th anniversary of signing the "Treaty on the basic principles of friendship between the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the Russian Federation" (16/6/1994 - 16/6/2024), 70 years since Vietnamese students first came to the Soviet Union, 70 years since the opening of the Soviet Embassy in Vietnam. “I hope that the Association will coordinate with the Russian Embassy in Vietnam to successfully organize these special celebration events," said the Ambassador.

VUFO President Phan Anh Son awarded VUFO Medals and Certificates of Merit to members who are active in the Association's activities. (Photo: Thoi Dai)

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