Hikaru Watanabe was honored on stage at the 19th Vietnamese Speech Contest in Japan held on November 2, shining under the lights and applause. Holding the microphone, he spoke about his journey to the Vietnamese language: the early days of confusion in Hanoi, friendships formed in the classroom, familiar pho shops, and moments of saying things wrong and then laughing together. In that moment, Hikaru Watanabe was not only a contestant but also living proof of the connecting power of language, an inspiration to foreign friends who love Vietnamese.

The Service Department for Diplomatic Corps, in coordination with units under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, organized the International Culinary Culture Festival 2025 on 22-23 November in Hanoi. The event served as a cultural - diplomatic bridge where global culinary traditions meet and blend, affirming the role of cuisine in promoting international cooperation and strengthening friendship between Viet Nam and partners worldwide.

On November 23, thousands of people flocked to Cau Giay Park in Hanoi to take part in cultural and sports activities and visit exhibition spaces at the Vietnam – US Friendship Festival, held to mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

On November 23 in Hanoi, the Viet Nam Union of Friendship Organizations, the US Mission to Vietnam, and the Hanoi People’s Committee jointly organized the Vietnam-US Friendship Festival. This event is part of a series of activities commemorating the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.