Vietnam-Chile Cultural Exchange Program: Strengthening Cultural Bonds
	Papelucho - Chilean Children Book Reaches Vietnamese Readers

Affirming the Role as a Reliable Bridge

According to the report presented at the conference, in 2025 the Association made efforts to implement people-to-people diplomatic activities in a proactive and practical manner, aligned with its available resources, thereby contributing to maintaining and strengthening the traditional friendship between the peoples of the two countries.

In the field of external relations, the Association continued to affirm its role as a reliable bridge connecting Vietnamese agencies, organizations, and individuals with Chilean partners. Through participation in and coordination of meetings and exchanges with the Embassy of Chile in Vietnam and partner organizations, the Association helped maintain regular communication channels, enhance mutual understanding, and expand cooperation opportunities in potential areas such as agriculture, science and technology, culture, and education.

Cultural and people-to-people exchange activities were actively promoted in various forms, ranging from delegation exchanges and participation in cultural and artistic events to the promotion of Chilean literature and cuisine in Vietnam. These activities not only enriched cultural exchanges between the two countries but also created opportunities for younger generations on both sides to gain deeper insights into each other’s history, people, and cultural identity, thereby strengthening the social foundation of bilateral relations.

In addition, the Association gradually promoted substantive cooperation links, particularly between localities and businesses of the two countries. Coordination in surveying agricultural models and exploring opportunities for cooperation in agricultural and fruit exports and supply chains demonstrated the Association’s efforts to align people-to-people diplomacy with local economic development needs, opening up prospects for concrete and long-term cooperation.

In 2025, the Association also actively participated in joint activities within the network of Vietnam’s friendship associations with the Latin American region, thereby expanding coordination, sharing experiences, and strengthening connections among people-to-people diplomacy organizations in the region. Participation in multilateral events contributed to enhancing the Association’s position and role within Vietnam’s overall people-to-people diplomacy efforts.

Conference reviewing the Association’s activities in 2025 and outlining orientations for 2026 of the Vietnam-Chile Friendship and Cooperation Association. (Photo: Đinh Hòa)

Prioritizing Local Connectivity and People-to-People Exchanges

In 2026, amid adjustments in policies by many South American countries, including Chile, aimed at stabilizing domestic situations and restoring economic growth after elections, Vietnam-Chile people-to-people diplomacy needs to be implemented in a flexible and practical manner, based on the foundation of traditional friendship and cooperation for the common interests of the peoples of the two countries.

On that basis, in 2026 the Association identifies its overarching objective as continuing to promote mutual understanding and strengthen the social foundation of bilateral relations; gradually building practical cooperation models among organizations, localities, businesses, universities, and research institutes of the two countries; thereby affirming the Association’s role as a proactive, creative, and in-depth people-to-people diplomacy channel within the overall Vietnam–Chile relationship.

In terms of external activities, the Association will focus on strengthening exchanges and contacts with Chilean partners, first and foremost the Chile-Vietnam Cultural Institute, localities with strong agricultural potential, and education and research institutions. The focus of these activities is to enhance practicality, aiming toward specific, feasible cooperation contents aligned with the needs and interests of both sides. At the same time, the Association will organize cultural, artistic, and academic exchange activities in Vietnam and Chile to expand partner networks, enhance mutual understanding, and lay the groundwork for long-term cooperation.

In addition, the Association will continue to promote its role as a bridge connecting organizations, businesses, and individuals of the two countries, with a focus on fostering cooperation in a locality-to-locality approach, particularly in areas where Chile has strengths and Vietnam has needs, such as agriculture, exports of fruit, coffee, seafood, and logistics. In 2026, the Association aims to introduce and connect at least one pair of localities from the two countries to establish cooperative or twinning relationships, creating a concrete highlight in people-to-people diplomacy activities.

The Association also places emphasis on consolidating and developing its partner network in Chile in a systematic and structured manner. Building a partner map and establishing regular communication channels, especially through online platforms, will enable the Association to be more proactive in sharing information, proposing initiatives, and coordinating the implementation of long-term cooperation activities in the fields of culture, education, youth, and people-to-people exchanges.

The Association will strengthen its engagement with the Embassy of Chile in Vietnam by actively participating in activities organized by the Embassy, while also studying the possibility of jointly organizing exchange programs to enhance mutual understanding between the peoples of the two countries. In the immediate future, the Association plans to arrange meetings between its leaders and the new Chilean Ambassador and consider inviting the Ambassador to visit several Vietnamese localities with potential for cooperation with Chile, thereby linking people-to-people diplomacy with official diplomacy and economic diplomacy.

Tran Nhat Hoang (far right), Deputy Director General of the Department of International Cooperation (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) and Vice President of the Association, delivers remarks at the conference. (Photo: Dinh Hoa)

Speaking at the conference, Tran Nhat Hoang, Deputy Director General of the Department of International Cooperation (Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) and Vice President of the Association, stated that in the lead-up to the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and Chile in 2026, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, in coordination with the Embassy of Chile in Vietnam, plans to organize a number of cultural and artistic activities to enhance exchanges and mutual understanding between the peoples of the two countries. These activities include an artistic performance program featuring artists from Vietnam and Chile; the introduction of Chilean films at the Latin American Film Festival and the Hanoi International Film Festival; a photo exhibition on Vietnam-Chile friendship through the perspectives of artists from both countries; and the publication in Vietnam of Volume 5 of the children’s book series Papelucho, among others. On this basis, Tran Nhat Hoang proposed that the Association participate in coordinating the implementation of these activities, thereby helping to create an atmosphere of friendly exchange and further deepen people-to-people relations between the two countries.

Nguyen Van Tich, former Ambassador of Vietnam to Chile and President of the Association, emphasized the need to strengthen a contingent of dedicated members who are deeply committed to friendship activities, while developing specific and clear work plans and programs with appropriate assignment of responsibilities in order to enhance the effectiveness of the Association’s operations. He also called on the Association to step up information and communication efforts, place emphasis on recruiting and engaging younger members, and promote the role of youth in people-to-people diplomacy activities. At the same time, he stressed the importance of building social media communication channels to spread small stories, positive images, and shared values in the Vietnam-Chile friendship.

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