Vietnam’s images promoted via cultural diplomacy in Malaysia: Ambassador

Kuala Lumpur (VNA) – Cultural diplomacy and people-to-people exchanges not only make an important contribution to elevating and spreading Vietnamese cultural values but also serve the foreign policy goals of both Vietnam and Malaysia, said Vietnamese Ambassador to Malaysia Dinh Ngoc Linh.

Speaking to the Vietnam News Agency about the role of cultural diplomacy in Malaysia, the ambassador said that cultural diplomacy is one of the three pillars of Vietnam's comprehensive diplomacy during the integration period. Cultural diplomacy is an important tool of foreign policy in general and diplomacy in particular in promoting international links between peoples.

He said that in 2023, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Malaysia (1973-2023), the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia stepped up its cultural diplomacy by coordinating with associations and localities such as Ho Chi Minh City and Nam Dinh, to organise series of activities which helped promote the images of Vietnam as a dynamic, modern country with cultural identities.

In a series of events organised to celebrate the occasion, the embassy selected Vietnamese unique cultural areas that are known and appreciated by Malaysians, for example, culinary introduction programmes, especially Nam Dinh Pho (noodle) that meets Halal standards and suits Malaysian tastes; traditional and modern music and dance performances; and “ao dai” shows.

“Cultural diplomacy is an effective measure in enhancing Vietnamese cultural values, promoting the national image, thereby expanding Vietnam's soft power”, the ambassador said.

Cultural diplomacy creates a premise to promote trade and economic development, and in return economic and trade are important resources to strongly deploy cultural diplomacy abroad, he said.

He added that Vietnam can promote cultural diplomacy effectively in Malaysia because of the similarity in development levels between the two countries, the cultural diversity of Malaysia, and the 30,000-strong Vietnamese community there.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Embassy in Vietnam also organised many meaningful activities in Hanoi, including a friendly match between the two countries' football teams.

Regarding the embassy’s plan to implement the results of the 32nd National Diplomatic Conference, the ambassador said that the embassy will make efforts to continue promoting "bright spots" in the two countries' relations, including economic, trade, and investment collaboration. It will also look for new cooperation fields that are consistent with development trends in the world and region in which both sides have potential and common interests.

“The potential for cooperation between the two countries is still very large, especially in areas such as food security, energy security, digital economy, artificial intelligence, digital transformation, marine economic development, and renewable energy,” he said.

The embassy and relevant representative agencies will closely follow the agreements signed between the two countries, especially the action programme to implement their strategic partnership for the period 2021-2025.

In the first half of 2024, one of the embassy's priorities is to promote and organise high-level visits of Party and State leaders to Malaysia. The exchange of high-level delegations will be a driving force for strengthening strategic trust and deepening comprehensive cooperation between the two countries, towards the 10th anniversary of the strategic partnership in 2025./.