Cultural diplomacy activities reviewed

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) held a meeting in Hanoi on January 22 to review the past year of cultural diplomacy and devise tasks for 2010.
The biggest success the diplomatic sector achieved in 2009 was to make progress in raising awareness about the importance of its work. Cultural diplomacy is the duty not only of the MOFA and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism but of all agencies, localities and businesses.
The sector drew on the experience of other countries to develop its own strategy. A legal framework was gradually built to support the diplomatic sector in international integration.
Several cultural exchanges were organised, such as Vietnam Week in Myanmar and “Meet Vietnam” and the Vietnamese Cultural Space in Japan, to strengthen friendship ties between Vietnam and other countries.
In 2010, cultural diplomacy will focus on events to mark the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi, and activities to combine political diplomacy with economic diplomacy. The MOFA will also work with relevant ministries and departments to develop cultural diplomacy activities to mark the anniversary of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and 50 of its partners.