Vientiane (VNA) – Ngo Phuong Ly, spouse of Vietnam’s Party General Secretary To Lam, attended the 9th ASEAN Traditional Textile Symposium in Laos from November 3-6 at the invitation of Naly Sisoulith, spouse of the Lao Party General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith.
Themed “Weaving a stronger ASEAN community through cultural heritage and textiles”, the biennial event, hosted by Laos for the first time, brought together businesses and representatives from ASEAN textile associations.
In her speech, Ly affirmed that the successful hosting of the symposium will contribute to the success of Laos’ ASEAN Chairmanship Year, fostering exchanges and cooperation among ASEAN nations while preserving the rich tapestry of the traditional textile industry across the region.
Visiting a traditional textile village in Vientiane, she shared insights into Vietnam's traditional crafts and support policies. She highlighted Vietnam’s “One Commune, One Product” (OCOP) initiative, which fosters rural development by leveraging local strengths, adding value to products, and preserving the good values of Vietnamese rural life.
At Phat Tich pagoda, she met with young Vietnamese expatriates in need and donated a collection of Vietnamese books and storybooks to a free Vietnamese language class there.
Together with the Tu Phuc charity group, she presented gifts to the Lao Association of Women with Disabilities and the Vietnamese community in Laos./.