International peace conference held in Quang Tri hinh anh 1Scene at the conference (Photo: VNA)

Quang Tri (VNA) – A conference on solidarity for peace and sustainable development took place in the central province of Quang Tri on May 21 and 22, gathering representatives from 12 foreign countries.

Organised by the provincial authorities, together with the Viet Nam Peace and Development Foundation and German-based Rosa Luxemburg Foundation, the conference also saw the attendance of representatives from the World Peace Council and Afro-Asian People's Solidarity Organisation.

In his opening speech at the event, Chairman of the Quang Tri People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chinh said his province bore the brunt of the country’s past struggles against French and American armies.

Quang Tri’s growth as seen today is the result of local residents’ solidarity and hard work and assistance from domestic and international friends, he stressed.

Participants voiced their support for the idea of annually celebrating Vietnamese Peace Day on January 27 in Quang Tri as the province itself is a demonstration of war destruction and strong post-war recovery. January 27 also marked the signing of the Paris Peace Accords in 1973 to end war and establish peace in Vietnam.

They discussed threats to global peace and measures to handle these issues, with some expressing their concern over emerging religious radicalism and terrorism.

They said international solidarity should be centred around anti-terrorism, anti-gender inequality, and anti-racial discrimination.

They advised countries to hold bilateral and multilateral activities in promotion of international solidarity, cut military budget and spend more on education and social welfare.-VNA
VNA