Vietnam always strives to improve the cultural, spiritual and material lives of the people, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh has said.

Minh made the statement at the opening ceremony of the 6th Meeting of the ASEAN Ministers responsible for Culture and Arts (AMCA 6) and related meetings in the central city of Hue on April 19.

Vietnam , as one of the founders of the ‘ASEAN Culture-Arts Community’ initiative, will work closely with other member countries to build a sustainable ASEAN Community, he stated.

Minh said that via existing mechanisms, the ministers have made many decisions and strategies on culture and arts which help preserve and honour ASEAN cultural heritages, thus increasing people’s understanding about the region’s diverse and unique culture.

He stressed the need to take advantage of the role of knowledge, science-technology and art forms in improving the material and spiritual lives of regional people, towards a community of mutual development and prosperity.

The Deputy PM noted that in the time to come, the ASEAN countries should actively prepare the association’s culture and arts development strategy for the post-2015 period.

They also need to expand cooperation and connections among culture and arts institutes and schools in order to share experience and improve the quality of education in this field.

Minh emphasised the need for the ASEAN member states to further boost affiliations with their dialogue countries as well as make the best use of the support and assistance from other partners inside and outside the region.

At the meeting, Singaporean Minister of Culture, Community and Youth Wong Shuyn Tsai Lawrence presented the ‘ASEAN City of Culture” logo to Chairman of the Thua Thien-Hue provincial People’s Committee Nguyen Van Cao.

During the event, which will last until April 20, an arts festival between ASEAN and its three partners of China , Japan and the Republic of Korea will be held.-VNA