“Vietnam actively contributes to UNESCO’s operation”

Vietnam actively contributes to UNESCO’s operation, Vietnamese official

HANOI, June 16 (Xinhua) — Vietnam has made active contributions to the operations of UNESCO in the country and the world, said Nguyen Thanh Son, Deputy Foreign Minister, Chairman of the Vietnam National Commission for UNESCO during the opening of the consultation meeting of Asia-Pacific region on Saturday.

So far, Vietnam has actively supported the organization in times of difficulty, Son added.

Being held in Vietnam’s central Thanh Hoa province, some 140 km south of capital Hanoi, the meeting drew the participation of 80 representatives from UNESCO member states and national commissions in Asia-Pacific region.

Addressing the event, Eric Falt, UNESCO’s Assistant Director General for External Relations and Public Information emphasized the importance of the meeting as the Asia-Pacific region accounts for over 60 percent of the world population.

During the meeting, which will last through June 18, representatives will share ideas on building UNESCO’s working plan in the next few years, Falt said, adding that UNESCO needs to closely cooperate with its member countries in the region to tackle current global challenges.

Despite difficulties, UNESCO will stand firmly behind the principle of building peace, reducing poverty and facilitating sustainable development and dialogues among cultures.

The consultation meeting of UNESCO national commissions is held every two years in five continents to collect ideas from 198 national committees of member countries.

On the occasion, the delegates attended an awarding ceremony of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Certificate to Thanh Hoa province’s Ho Dynasty Citadel, the only stone-built old citadel in Southeast Asia region, attaching to the Ho dynasty from the year of 1400 to 1407.  <Xinhua>

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