US, VN hold talks on people-to-people diplomacy
(VOV) - A roundtable conference on people-to-people diplomacy in Vietnam-US relations were held in Hanoi on October 17 to mark the 69th anniversary of the Vietnam-USA Society (VUS).
At the opening ceremony, President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) Vu Xuan Hong emphasised that the event provided a venue for researchers, scholars, businesspeople and representatives from a number of US non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to review the VUS operation over the past 69 years.
Hong said it was on October 17th 1945, just 45 days after President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, that the Vietnam-USA Society (VUS) was founded under the name of the Vietnam-America Friendship Association (VAFA). This was a first bilateral friendship association of Vietnamese people with international friends, Hong said.
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Hong said the VUS has conducted activities in line with each period in the national history and Vietnam-US relations, adding that it should make more contributions to strengthening bilateral ties, especially on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of normalisation of diplomatic ties in 2015.
VUS President Nguyen Tam Chien recalled major activities over the past 69 years and asserted that it will continue to accelerate exchanges to enhance mutual understanding among two peoples, especially young generations, in the fields of education and culture, and coordinate with US friends to deal with war aftermath issues, such as Agent Orange/Dioxin, bomb and mine disposal and helping people with disabilities.
Participants in the workshop also gave ideas and measures to accelerate the implementation of activities to mark the 20th anniversary of normalisation of diplomatic ties next year, contributing to bolstering comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and US for mutual benefit.