President Truong Tan Sang gave a reception for 40 artisans representing those in traditional trade villages nationwide in Hanoi on November 24.

The President hailed the role of trade villages in national socio-economic development, creating jobs for millions of rural workers and improving local living conditions.

He was briefed on activities of the Vietnam Trade Villages Association (VTVA) in protecting and promoting traditional craft trades and providing vocational training for rural workers, contributing to the nation’s new-style rural building programme.

The President asked the association to promote its role in sharing experience and help its members further develop their business.

The association should focus on improving its products’ quality in a bid to introduce Vietnamese culture to the region and the world, while proposing the Party and State solutions to preserve and develop traditional trade villages.
Since its establishment in March 2005, the association has run hundreds of training courses on start-up and business management in trade villages, making it easier for handicraft businesses, VTVA Chairman Luu Duy Dan told the President.

It has honoured outstanding individuals, groups and products and held trade promotion events to help boost exports, Dan added.-VNA