The sixth Meeting of ASEAN Puppetry Association officially kicked off at the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre in Hanoi on June 19, the Nhan Dan (People) online newspaper reported.

It is the first time Vietnam has hosted the meeting. This year’s event brings together 11 troupes of puppeteers from 10 countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The three-day event offer troupes an opportunity to meet and exchange experiences in the art of puppetry. Participants also focus on seeking solutions to preserve and develop the art.

The troupes also bring a series of unique performances from 10 ASEAN countries.

Addressing the opening ceremony, Chairman of the ASEAN Puppetry Association Ghulam-Sarwar Yousof stressed that the meeting was a forum to enhance cooperation between ASEAN countries on puppetry art as well as the relationship between the countries’ peoples.

He expressed his hope that this cooperation would extend into other countries around the world.

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Ministry of Culture, Sport and Tourism Vuong Duy Bien highly appreciated the puppetry art. “This wordless art has broken down language barriers and for this reason, puppetry has become an effective vehicle in cultural promotion”. It enhances mutual understanding between ASEAN countries and countries around the world, Deputy Minister Bien affirmed.

Established in 2006 with 10 member countries, the ASEAN Puppetry Association aims to not only offer audiences varied puppetry performances but also research and raise funds to develop puppetry art.-VNA