On the afternoon of June 28, at the Government Office, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính received Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), on the occasion of her second official visit to Vietnam during her term.
Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính receives Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO – Photo: VGP/Nhật Bắc
The meeting not only reflects Vietnam’s respect for UNESCO’s role but also affirms the comprehensive, substantive, and increasingly effective cooperation between the two sides over nearly half a century.
During the reception, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính warmly welcomed Ms. Audrey Azoulay’s return to Vietnam and expressed appreciation for her significant contributions to UNESCO and to human civilization throughout her two terms.
The Prime Minister shared that, throughout 80 years of the country’s formation and development, alongside Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought, culture has always held a special role. As President Ho Chi Minh, the national liberation hero and outstanding cultural figure, emphasized: “Culture lights the way for the nation,” and as long as culture exists, the nation endures.
The importance of culture and a comprehensive understanding of it: Culture is an endogenous resource, a spiritual foundation that connects the past, present, and future; it nurtures patriotism and the aspiration of youth to devote themselves to the nation; and it serves as a driving force for national development, peace, cooperation, and the progress of humankind.
In this era of national advancement, Vietnam is determined to promote a culture imbued with over 4,000 years of national identity, creatively applying it within Vietnam’s context and the current international landscape; to strengthen cultural institutions; to develop cultural industries and entertainment industries so that people can enjoy the added value that culture brings; and to advance the “nationalization” of world civilization and the “internationalization” of Vietnam’s culturally rich identity to the world.
The Prime Minister expressed his wish for UNESCO to continue to be a cultural companion, promoting the core values of the Vietnamese nation globally – Photo: VGP/Nhật Bắc
The Prime Minister expressed his delight at witnessing the increasingly strong and profound relationship between Vietnam and UNESCO, as well as the growing awareness of the Vietnamese people about UNESCO. He noted that the 72 titles recognized by UNESCO have become an important national brand, contributing to the sustainable socio-economic development of the country. The Prime Minister reaffirmed that Vietnam has been and will continue to make ever more active and effective contributions, especially through its roles in UNESCO’s key governing bodies. He also thanked UNESCO, and in particular Director-General Audrey Azoulay, for her contributions in strengthening the Vietnam–UNESCO partnership throughout her two terms.
The Prime Minister also expressed his hope that UNESCO would continue to be a cultural companion, helping to promote the core values of the Vietnamese nation to the world; contributing to enhancing and elevating Vietnamese culture; and supporting Vietnam in building a shared vision and concrete actions for cultural development, including training human resources in this field.
The Prime Minister requested that the Director-General of UNESCO continue to pay attention to and support the inscription of the Yên Tử – Vĩnh Nghiêm – Côn Sơn, Kiếp Bạc Complex as a World Cultural Heritage site at the upcoming session of the World Heritage Committee in July. This is an ancient, sacred, and mysterious historical and cultural relic complex associated with prominent historical figures of the nation, embodying the core characteristics of the Trúc Lâm Yên Tử Buddhist school, and promoting the values of peace, harmony, unity, and tolerance, which continue to have profound influence and resonance today.
He also proposed that UNESCO continue to support the preservation and promotion of the heritage values of the Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long, including the reconstruction of Kính Thiên Palace and its central space; the inscription of Đông Hồ folk painting art; and support for Hanoi to join the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities and for Ho Chi Minh City to become part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
Ms. Audrey Azoulay affirmed that Vietnam is a model in preserving and promoting the values of heritage and UNESCO titles – Photo: VGP/Nhật Bắc
At the meeting, UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay expressed her heartfelt emotion and joy at returning to Vietnam – an important and responsible partner within the UNESCO system. She thanked Vietnam for its support and cooperation in strengthening UNESCO’s role and partnerships in the 21st century, especially in its capacity as a member of UNESCO’s governing bodies.
The Director-General expressed her admiration for the depth of Vietnamese culture and its over 4,000-year-old civilization. She highly appreciated Vietnam’s strategic vision for culture and affirmed her readiness to work with Vietnam to share this vision with the world, so that culture can gain a more prominent place in the post-2030 sustainable development agenda, contributing to joint efforts toward inclusive and sustainable development.
Ms. Audrey Azoulay affirmed that Vietnam is a model in preserving and promoting the values of heritage and UNESCO titles — from tangible and intangible heritage to global geoparks, creative cities, and learning cities — as practical and effective models that can be shared globally.
She emphasized that UNESCO has been and will continue to accompany Vietnam in its efforts to build and develop culture, to nationalize universal civilization, and to preserve and promote traditional cultural values contributing to human civilization. She pledged to support the dossiers proposed by the Prime Minister.
The Director-General also confirmed that UNESCO stands ready to work with Vietnam in its ongoing reform and international integration efforts in the digital era, especially in training human resources in artificial intelligence (AI) with the involvement of private sector partners.
Source: Báo Điện tử Chính Phủ
Link to article: Director-General of UNESCO: Ready to join Vietnam in sharing a strategic cultural vision with the world