Top legislator meets writers, artists on Lunar New Year

Hanoi (VNA) – National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan met with representatives of writers and artists on January 22 on the occasion of the Lunar New Year.

Wishing the writers and artists a happy new year, the NA leader took the occasion to praise the cultural sector for its role in enhancing the people’s spiritual and cultural life and promoting Vietnam in the world.

She noted that 2018 was a busy year for writers and artists. Thousands of art and literature works have been published or exhibited. Many authors and artists won awards at local, national, regional and international contests. The Vietnam Writers’ Association, the Vietnam Musicians’ Association and the Vietnam Stage Artists’ Association held a number of international exchanges which left good impression on international colleagues.

NA Chairwoman Ngan recalled the teaching of President Ho Chi Minh that culture and arts are also a front, with writers and artists being soldiers on that front. The President also said culture and arts, just like all other activities, cannot stand outside economics and politics.

The legislator stressed that the Party and State are deeply aware of the great role and contribution of culture and arts, thus attaching importance to building specific mechanisms and policies for the development of culture and arts, which respect the freedom of creativity of artists and writers and facilitate their work.  

She reiterated the important role of writers and artists in conveying the policies of the Party and laws of the State to the people, and in educating the young generations. She added that in the country’s renewal cause and international integration, amidst the rapid development of information technology, writers and artists must work to reform themselves, adopt new outlooks and ways of thinking and seek new forms of expression in creation.

The NA leader also urged the writers and artists to work to preserve the national cultural identity, develop fine traditional values and prevent the negative impacts of the market economy and international integration.

Chairman of the Vietnam Union of Literary and Arts Associations (VULAA) Huu Thinh said the union will coordinate with the National Assembly Committee for Culture, Education,  Youth, Adolescents and Children and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to create mechanisms facilitating the creative work of writers and artists.-VNA