At the conference, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Diep highly praised the achievements of the Can Tho Union of Friendship Organizations in the first half of the year. According to her, the city's foreign affairs and people-to-people diplomacy activities have contributed significantly to portraying Can Tho as a friendly, dynamic, and deeply integrated city in the eyes of international friends. In particular, the successful mobilization of foreign non-governmental aid reflects the trust and positive evaluation of international organizations regarding the cooperative environment in the city.
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| Vice Chairwoman of the Can Tho City People's Committee Nguyen Thi Ngoc Diep (right) presents a Certificate of Merit from the Chairman of the People’s Committee to representatives of the Can Tho Union of Friendship Organizations. (Photo: Ha Vy) |
To ensure people-to-people diplomacy continues to deepen in a practical and effective manner, the Vice Chairwoman proposed that, in the second half of the year, the Can Tho Friendship Union further enhance the efficiency of its 21 member friendship associations by adhering to the motto of “proactive, flexible, creative, and effective.” She also called for strengthened coordination with departments and sectors to proactively develop innovative and impactful people-to-people diplomacy activities suitable for the current context.
She stressed the importance of innovating both the content and methods of external communication to promote Can Tho’s culture and people, highlight the city’s socio-economic development achievements, and showcase its potential and strengths. The city leadership expressed hope that every officer engaged in people-to-people diplomacy would serve as a "cultural ambassador," spreading the image of Can Tho as an ecological, civilized, and modern city imbued with the rich cultural identity of the Mekong Delta region to domestic and international friends.
In addition, the Can Tho Union of Friendship Organizations was urged to strengthen efforts in mobilizing foreign non-governmental aid, leveraging international resources to support the city’s socio-economic development goals. It should continue to deepen relations with traditional partners, neighboring countries, and strategic allies; expand and promote cooperation with potential partners; and mobilize resources for projects in science and technology, education and training, culture, climate change adaptation, and environmental protection.
Efforts should also be made to improve research and forecasting, enhancing the role of the Executive Committee, especially its experts, in providing insights, recommendations, and solutions to support policy development and the implementation of people-to-people diplomacy strategies. The Union is also expected to diversify its methods of engagement and mobilize resources from the overseas Vietnamese, especially Can Tho natives living abroad, considering them as “friendly ambassadors” of their homeland who contribute to safeguarding national interests and promoting the country’s cultural values.
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| Delegates witnessed the signing ceremony of a memorandum of understanding between the Can Tho Union of Friendship Organizations and various organizations/agencies on collaboration in implementing programs and projects related to children, women, youth, community development, education, and overseas study counseling. (Photo: Ha Vy) |
Nguyen Thi Ngoc Diep also urged the Can Tho Union of Friendship Organizations to focus on restructuring and streamlining its organizational apparatus in accordance with the guidance of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front Committee of Can Tho City. She emphasized the need to review and provide direction for the merger and consolidation of member friendship associations, and to develop a plan for reorganizing the standing office in a more streamlined, efficient, and effective manner.
Speaking at the conference, Chairwoman of the Can Tho Union of Friendship Organizations Le Thi Thanh Giang shared: “In this challenging yet opportunity-filled period, people-to-people diplomacy must be proactively elevated to a new level, reinforcing its role as a bridge for friendship and a ‘third diplomatic channel’ that contributes to strengthening public trust and portraying Can Tho as an open, dynamic, and sustainably developing city in the eyes of international friends.”
According to Le Thi Thanh Giang, the Can Tho Union of Friendship Organizations and its 21 member associations are committed to standing side by side with the city’s leadership. They will continue to uphold a tradition of solidarity, creativity, and responsible action, proactively contributing to the development of a stronger, more expansive Can Tho that occupies a more prominent position in both regional and international arenas.
As part of the event, the Union signed memoranda of understanding with four organizations/agencies to collaborate on programs and projects related to children, women, youth, community development, education, and overseas study consulting.
On this occasion, the city’s leadership presented a Certificate of Merit from the Chairman of the Can Tho People’s Committee to the Can Tho Union of Friendship Organizations in recognition of its outstanding achievements in the emulation movement commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025).
| According to the report presented at the conference, in the first half of 2025, the Can Tho Union of Friendship Organizations organized numerous impactful people-to-people diplomacy activities that contributed to strengthening friendship and international cooperation. Notable examples included the celebration of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Viet Nam and Russia; the 2025 Francophonie Day event; the 2025 Friendship Tree Planting Ceremony with the Consulate General of India; and a thematic photo exhibition titled “Frames of climate change” in collaboration with the Consulate General of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Efforts to mobilize foreign non-governmental aid also yielded very encouraging results, with nearly VND 9.5 billion secured for programs and projects addressing local needs in areas such as education, climate change, and social welfare, including bridge and housing construction, as well as support for disadvantaged children and families. These efforts were concentrated in economically challenged districts such as Thoi Lai, Thot Not, and Co Do. |
Source: Vietnamtimes
