Friendship
A Dream Still Haunted by the Past
My name is Ryan Duy Hung. My family moved to Viet Nam in 1995, when I was just eight years old. More than 30 years have passed. What was once a foreign land has become the place where I grew up, built my career, married a Vietnamese woman and raised children who are growing up between two cultures. I am living a happy life. Yet, alongside that happiness, there remains a dream that has yet to find peace...
Friendship
International Friends Cycle Together for a Greener Hanoi
On the morning of November 7, nearly 400 delegates, international friends and Hanoi residents took part in the sixth “Friendship Cycling Journey for a Green Hanoi” around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi. The event helped promote a green lifestyle, encourage the use of environmentally friendly means of transport, and strengthen friendship between the Vietnamese people and international friends.
Friendship
Placing People's Interests at Centre of Viet Nam-Thailand Friendship Cooperation
Making the effectiveness of cooperation and the benefits it brings to the people the key measures of success was the proposal put forward by Nguyen Van Thanh, President of the Viet Nam-Thailand Friendship Association, at the 15th Joint Conference held on November 7 in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The Thai side also emphasised the need to innovate activities and strengthen connections among localities, businesses and people from both countries.
Le Duy Truyen Elected President of Viet Nam-Chile Friendship and Cooperation Association
On November 5 in Hanoi, the Viet Nam-Chile Friendship and Cooperation Association (the Association) held its fourth congress for the 2026-2031 term. Le Duy Truyen, former Deputy General Director of the Viet Nam News Agency and Standing Vice President of the Association for its third term, was elected President. For the new term, the Association aims to expand its partner network and link friendship exchanges with concrete cooperation programmes.
Numerous Proposals to Promote People-to-People Exchanges between Viet Nam and Algeria
Building on the traditional friendship between Viet Nam and Algeria, strengthening exchanges between younger generations and expanding local-level cooperation were among the issues discussed at a meeting between President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations Phan Anh Son and Azeddine Bechka, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria to Viet Nam, in Hanoi on November 4.
Ambassador Jennifer Wicks: People-to-People Exchanges Bring Viet Nam and the United States Closer Together
US Ambassador to Viet Nam Jennifer Wicks affirmed that promoting people-to-people exchanges is one of her priorities during her tenure, with the aim of strengthening ties between the peoples of the two countries and fostering cooperation across various fields. This was discussed at a meeting between President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations Phan Anh Son and Ambassador Jennifer Wicks, held in Hanoi on November 4.
Angola's Ambassador Fernando Miguel Seeks to Promote Establishment of Friendship Associations Between the Two Countries
"Promoting the establishment of the Angola-Viet Nam Friendship Association and the Viet Nam-Angola Friendship Association to create additional bridges for people-to-people exchanges and cooperation" was a key point highlighted at a meeting between Phan Anh Son, President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, and Fernando Miguel, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Angola to Viet Nam, held on November 3 in Hanoi.
Viet Nam-Laos and Laos-Viet Nam Friendship Associations to Participate in National-Level Commemorative Program in 2027
Lao National Assembly President Sonexay Siphandone said that activities organised by the two Friendship Associations would be included in the programme marking the 65th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Viet Nam-Laos Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation in 2027. He also called on the two Associations to step up coordination in promoting the special relationship between the two countries.
From Wartime Solidarity to Lasting Friendship
On October 30 in Hanoi, the Embassy of Cuba in Viet Nam held a ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the first visit to Viet Nam by a high-level Cuban delegation. The visit began on October 29, 1966, during the height of the war, and became a special milestone in the solidarity between Viet Nam and Cuba.
Promoting Role of People-to-People Diplomacy in Viet Nam-Spain Relations
Recently in Hanoi, marking the occasion of Spain’s National Day (October 12), the Hanoi Viet Nam-Spain Friendship Association held a friendship gathering and launched two new chapters, contributing to the expansion of people-to-people diplomacy networks and the promotion of cooperation between the two countries.
Viet Nam-Sweden: A Friendship That Endures
Decades later, those involved in Viet Nam–Sweden healthcare cooperation still reunite, while the children of some Swedish experts have even spent their holidays working in Quang Ninh. Elisabeth Dahlin and Anders Öhrström share these stories as they reflect on 50 years of healthcare cooperation between the two countries.
Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations Sets New Priorities for People-to-People Diplomacy
On October 29 in Hanoi, the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations held a conference to disseminate and implement the Resolution of its 7th National Congress for the 2026-2031 term.
Expanding Opportunities for Viet Nam-Saudi Arabia Cooperation
Strengthening information exchange, exploring the establishment of a friendship association, fostering educational and academic ties, and promoting business cooperation were among the proposals discussed by President of the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) Phan Anh Son, and Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Viet Nam Thamer Mohammed A. Algosaibi, during a meeting in Hanoi on October 28. The discussions aimed to tap into the potential for cooperation and strengthen ties between the peoples of the two countries.
Italian Ambassador Highlights Role of Youth in Strengthening Viet Nam-Italy Ties
During his visit and exchange with students at Nguyen Sieu Secondary and High School in Hanoi, as part of an international student exchange program with Galileo Galilei High School in Siena, Italy, Italian Ambassador to Viet Nam Marco Della Seta emphasized the fundamental role of education and people-to-people diplomacy in strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
Viet Nam-Brazil: Turning Cooperation Commitments into Reality
The implementation of the Strategic Partnership Action Plan for 2025-2030 has set out specific tasks for Viet Nam and Brazil, particularly in economic and trade cooperation and people-to-people exchanges. President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was re-elected on October 25, 2026, as the two countries continue to implement their existing agreements.
International Friendship Volleyball Exchange Held in Khanh Hoa
Recently, nearly 100 students from Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and several other countries, currently studying in Khanh Hoa, participated in a friendly volleyball exchange.
NA President receives Chairman of Korea–Vietnam Friendship Association
The NA President expressed his deep appreciation for the sincere sentiments and support extended to Vietnam by the Republic of Korea’s organisations, associations, businesses and friends, underscoring the important role of people-to-people diplomacy in strengthening the social foundations of bilateral ties, deepening mutual understanding between the two countries’ people and translating the substance of the Vietnam–RoK Comprehensive Strategic Partnership into concrete outcomes.
People-to-People Diplomacy to Strengthen the Hegemony of Internationalism: The Practical Example of the Solidarity Between Viet Nam and Cuba
Viet Nam Times Magazine is pleased to present the article “People-to-People Diplomacy to Strengthen the Hegemony of Internationalism: The Practical Example of the Solidarity Between Viet Nam and Cuba” by Käch Marius André and Biermann, Felix Paul Biermann of the Switzerland-Viet Nam Friendship Association. The article was submitted to the Second Political Commentary Writing Contest on Protecting the Party’s Ideological Foundation in 2026, organized by the Party Committee of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front and Central Mass Organizations, and received a Consolation Prize.
Students Who Brought Me to Viet Nam
I met Dr. Keijo Varis when he visited Hanoi to attend activities marking the 80th anniversary of Viet Nam’s National Day. After that visit, we stayed in touch through emails he sent from Turku, Finland. In those letters, the 65-year-old professor rarely spoke about his more than a decade of teaching or the milestones in his career. He wrote more about his Vietnamese students - people who had entered his classroom shy and reserved, then left a lasting impression through their sincerity, diligence, and relationships that endured long after graduation.
More Than 900 Students in Tuyen Quang Learn About Green Living
Good Neighbors International (GNI) has organized a series of Environmental Festivals under the theme “Journey Towards Green Living” at three primary and lower secondary schools: Tan Bac, Bang Lang and Yen Thanh in Tuyen Quang Province, attracting more than 900 students.
Deputy Minister Ho An Phong Elected President of Viet Nam-Belarus Friendship Association for 2026-2031
The fifth National Congress of the Viet Nam-Belarus Friendship Association, held in Ha Noi on October 24 for the 2026-2031 term, elected a new Executive Committee. Ho An Phong, Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, was elected President of the Association for the 2026-2031 term. The Congress also set out directions for renewing and improving the quality of exchanges and connections between the peoples of the two countries.
First Congress of the Dong Thap Union of Friendship Organizations for the 2026-2031 Term
On October 20, the Dong Thap Union of Friendship Organizations held its first Congress for the 2026-2031 term. Nguyen Quang Minh was re-elected as President of the Union for the new term.
Promoting People-to-People Diplomacy to Build a Solid Foundation Rooted in “the People’s Hearts”
Viet Nam Times Magazine is pleased to introduce the article “Ho Chi Minh thought - A spiritual legacy of national liberation and enhancing Viet Nam’s international standing” by Kusum Jain, President of the India-Viet Nam Solidarity Committee (IVSC). The article was submitted to the Second Political Essay Contest on Protecting the Party’s Ideological Foundation in 2026, organised by the Party Committee of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front and Central Mass Organisations, and received a Consolation Prize.
