Lao Ambassador to Viet Nam Khamphao Ernthavanh:

Let youth and culture lead the way

Lao Ambassador to Viet Nam Khamphao Ernthavanh believes that the younger generation and cultural exchange activities will be among the effective means of fostering the friendship between the two countries in the coming period.

Lao Ambassador to Viet Nam Khamphao Ernthavanh. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

Speaking to Viet Nam Times Magazine, the Ambassador said that favorable conditions should be created for young people from the two countries to participate more actively in student exchange programs, summer camps, youth forums, cultural and sports exchanges, volunteer activities, and entrepreneurship initiatives. She also called for greater cooperation among universities and youth organizations, as well as stronger connections through digital platforms, enabling young people from the two countries to share knowledge and experience.

Dong Nai students and Lao students visit a photo exhibition on Viet Nam-Laos friendship activities, July 2024. (Photo: Dong Nai Radio and Television)

Ambassador Khamphao Ernthavanh said that the content and methods of people-to-people cooperation should continue to be renewed, with greater use of digital technology and expanded exchanges among young people, businesses, and social organizations.

The Ambassador expressed her hope that during the 2026-2031 term, the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations will continue to promote its role as an important bridge between the peoples of Viet Nam and Laos, proactively advancing practical and effective cooperation programs. At the same time, it should strengthen coordination with Lao friendship organizations and organize more exchange activities, experience-sharing programs, and cooperation in areas of mutual interest.

The Ambassador proposed that the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations place greater emphasis on communicating and educating the younger generation about the special friendship between Viet Nam and Laos, thereby contributing to preserving and promoting the invaluable asset shared by the two peoples.

Ambassador Khamphao Ernthavanh presents certificates of merit to Lao students in Viet Nam for outstanding academic achievements. (Photo: tnue.edu.vn)

On the occasion of the National Congress of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations for the 2026–2031 term, Ambassador Khamphao Ernthavanh wished the Congress every success. She expressed her confidence that the Union would continue to uphold its traditions, pursue innovation, and improve the effectiveness of people-to-people diplomacy, making positive contributions to strengthening friendship, solidarity, and cooperation between Viet Nam and countries around the world, including the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

Vyacheslav Kalganov, Vice Chairman of the Saint Petersburg Committee for External Relations (Russian Federation):

Viet Nam-Russia People’s Forum: Creating Dynamic Spaces for Practical Cooperation

According to Vyacheslav Kalganov, Vice Chairman of the Saint Petersburg Committee for External Relations (Russian Federation), the first Viet Nam-Russia People’s Forum achieved an important objective, particularly by creating a joint mechanism to connect localities, businesses, educational and healthcare institutions, and social organizations of the two countries. He said this outcome has opened a new chapter in people-to-people relations between the two countries, turning ideas and agreements reached at the Forum into concrete, follow-up programs.

Vyacheslav Kalganov, Vice Chairman of the Saint Petersburg Committee for External Relations (Russian Federation). (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

“We believe that the local network should be promoted first and foremost. Saint Petersburg has established sister-city relations with many localities in Viet Nam, including Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Khanh Hoa, Hai Phong, and Dien Bien. We maintain contact with the Vietnamese community in the Russian Federation and partners in Viet Nam. Based on proposals from the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations and the Viet Nam-Russia Friendship Association, we will continue seeking new partners.

Education is an area with considerable potential. In the past, cooperation mainly focused on sending Vietnamese students to Russia to study. Today, along with Viet Nam’s development, we believe that conditions should be created for Russian students to come to Viet Nam to study Vietnamese and pursue suitable fields of study.”

Viet Nam-Russia Education Conference on career orientation for school and university students, December 2024, Hanoi. (Photo: Bach Duong)

Healthcare is also an area that can deliver practical results. Russia has strengths in oncology, cardiology, geriatrics, and several areas of modern medicine. Meanwhile, traditional Vietnamese medicine has many valuable aspects and could attract interest in Russia. The two sides could exchange experts, provide training for doctors, and organize cooperation programs between hospitals and research institutions.

Signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between Friendship Hospital (Viet Nam) and the Napalkov Oncology Center (Russian Federation), September 2025. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

Economic cooperation should continue to be linked with people-to-people diplomacy. In practice, Vietnamese businesses have already invested in Saint Petersburg and Leningrad Region in the fields of hospitality, garment manufacturing, agriculture, and agro-processing. In 2026, a large-scale hotel complex was opened in central Saint Petersburg. The project was developed by “Golden Era” Company, headed by Vietnamese entrepreneur Duong Chi Kien. Business forums, enterprise days, and networking activities within the framework of people-to-people diplomacy can contribute to expanding investment and mobilizing additional resources.

The younger generation is also a priority. There are currently around 500 Vietnamese pupils and students studying in Saint Petersburg. They not only participate in conferences and cultural activities but also join the city in volunteer programs, environmental protection initiatives, and exchanges with students from ASEAN countries.

In many activities, Vietnamese youth serve as a core force, helping connect Russian students with those from Southeast Asian countries. This is a resource that should be further promoted through student exchange programs, summer camps, volunteer activities, cultural research, and joint projects.

Associate Professor Alfred Gerstl, President of the Austria-Viet Nam Society:

Three pillars of Viet Nam-Austria people-to-people relations

Associate Professor Alfred Gerstl, President of the Austria-Viet Nam Society, proposed strengthening connections among academic institutions, the younger generation, and businesses, thereby developing long-term cooperative relations between Viet Nam and Austria.

Associate Professor Alfred Gerstl, President of the Austria-Viet Nam Society. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

The Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations can continue to promote interaction by developing thematic initiatives that bring together Vietnamese universities, research institutes, business organizations, and social organizations, focusing on areas such as innovation, digital transformation, sustainable development, healthcare, education, and cultural heritage.

Ceremony presenting the Friendship Order of the President of Viet Nam to the Austria-Viet Nam Society in Austria, July 2026. (Photo: Embassy of Viet Nam in Austria)

The Austria-Viet Nam Society also believes that the younger generation should become a pillar of cooperation in the future. Student exchange programs, internships, joint research projects, summer schools, and young leadership development programs will create lasting and valuable connections among future generations of experts from Austria and Viet Nam.

Business participation should also be encouraged in a more systematic manner. Businesses are increasingly recognizing that international cooperation depends not only on economic opportunities but also on mutual understanding and relationships built on trust. In this regard, business forums and dialogues on innovation can become an important component of people-to-people diplomacy.

Connecting Two Societies, Expanding Cooperation Network According to Associate Professor Alfred Gerstl, an important outcome of cooperation between the Austria-Viet Nam Society and the Viet Nam-Austria Friendship Association is that the two sides have established relations at the organizational level while expanding their network of connections with universities, researchers, diplomatic agencies, businesses, and cultural organizations in both countries. President of the Viet Nam-Austria Friendship Association Tran Tuan Anh and President of the Austria-Viet Nam Society Alfred Gerstl sign a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation between the two societies, May 2026. (Photo: Dinh Hoa) The Memorandum of Understanding signed by the two societies in Hanoi in May 2026 provides a framework for long-term cooperation. In the coming years, the two sides are expected to focus on four areas: academic cooperation, youth exchanges, cultural dialogue, and business networking. The two societies are exploring a number of activities, including organizing joint conferences, connecting universities, holding expert dialogues, and implementing cultural projects. According to Alfred Gerstl, with its network and experience in connecting friendship organizations, universities, local authorities, and other partners, the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations can support the establishment of new partnerships and turn cooperation ideas into concrete projects.

[Infographic] Contributing to Formulation of Foreign Policy Directions, Strategies and Policies In recent years, the research and policy advisory work of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations has undergone significant qualitative improvements, increasingly affirming its role as an important foundation directly supporting the formulation of directions, strategies and policies for people-to-people diplomacy, while more closely aligning with the country’s foreign policy priorities and political tasks.

Building More Bridges of Viet Nam-China Friendship On the occasion of the National Congress of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations for the 2026-2031 term, the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries sent a congratulatory letter. In the letter, the Association acknowledged the contributions of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations to promoting friendship between the peoples of the two countries, and expressed its hope that the two sides would continue to organize exchange programs and build more bridges for Viet Nam-China cooperation.