Copenhagen (VNA) – Ngo Phuong Ly, spouse of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam, and Danish Queen Mary presented a Vietnamese book collection to BIBLIOTEKET Rentemestervej, a library and community cultural centre in Copenhagen, during a visit to the establishment on October 19.
The Vietnamese first lady and Danish Queen toured the facility, which opened in 2011 and combines a library, cultural centre, creative workshop, community centre, public service offices, and concert hall. They then visited reading rooms and children’s play area and made bookmarks together.
Ly highlighted the library as a hub of knowledge and culture that brings local residents together, praising its efforts to foster reading habits among children. She stressed that despite rapid changes in information access driven by digital technology and artificial intelligence, printed books and reading culture remain irreplaceable, helping develop critical thinking, nurture imagination and foster empathy.
To introduce Vietnam’s people, history, culture and daily life to Danish readers, the collection features popular Vietnamese literary works, and books on Vietnam’s history, geography, arts, heritage and customs, she said.
Books offer a valuable way to understand a nation, and lasting friendship between the two countries begins with mutual understanding of each other's history, values and spirit, Ly said, expressing her hope that the library will continue to share readers’ needs.
She affirmed Vietnam’s readiness to provide more books to enrich the collection, contributing to the friendship and mutual understanding between the two nations.
Ngo Phuong Ly, spouse of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam, and Queen Mary visit a children’s play area at BIBLIOTEKET Rentemestervej on October 19, 2026. (Photo: VNA)
Showing gratitude for Vietnam's gift, Queen Mary said the initiative will encourage reading and strengthen friendship between the two countries, while helping Danish people, particularly younger generations, learn more about Vietnam.
She recalled the Danish Royal Family’s special ties with Vietnam, including late Prince Henrik’s time in the country. The queen also shared her and King Frederik X's fond memories of trips to the Southeast Asian country when they were Crown Prince and Crown Princess. She expressed her hope of returning to Vietnam soon.
Ly thanked the Danish Royal Family and Queen Mary for their warm welcome and voiced her wish to welcome the King and Queen to Vietnam in the near future.
She said she believes that people-to-people exchanges will further strengthen the foundation of friendship between the two countries.
Presented on the occasion of the 55th founding anniversary of Vietnam–Denmark diplomatic relations, the book collection symbolises friendship between the two peoples and offers Danish children an opportunity to discover Vietnam through its stories and fairy tales.
At a state banquet on October 19 evening for General Secretary and President Lam and his spouse, King Frederik X also highlighted the library visit and the book presentation, thanking Ly for her “generous gift” to BIBLIOTEKET Rentemestervej./.
