Phan Anh Sơn, chairman of the Việt Nam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) delivers his speech at a friendship meeting on Monday evening in Hà Nội.— VNS Photo Nguyễn Hằng

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam Union of Friendship Organisations (VUFO) will continue cultivating friendships and cooperative relations with people from all over the world, contributing to the cause of national construction and development, for peace, stability, sustainable development and social progress.

That was the message from Phan Anh Sơn, chairman of the VUFO, speaking on Monday evening when he chaired a friendship meeting to celebrate Lunar New Year (Tết) with ambassadors, charge d'affaires, chief of diplomatic representatives, international organisations, foreign non-governmental organisations, friends and partners of the VUFO.

Sơn said the foreign non-governmental organisations contributed nearly US$228 million to implement programmes and projects in Việt Nam last year.

The result was achieved thanks to the attention and direction of the Party and State leaders, and the guidance and coordination of ministries and sectors, especially, the support and coordination of ambassadors, embassies, diplomatic representative agencies, international organisations, foreign businesses and foreign non-governmental organisations in Việt Nam, he said.

The VUFO plans to strengthen its organisational system from central to local levels; train officials and staff to better implement people-to-people diplomacy tasks; strongly innovate the approach and implementation of people-to-people diplomacy activities to promote the achievements this year.

It will also expand a strong, reputable and widespread network of partners in the regions; effectively participate in multilateral mechanisms; improve the effectiveness of cooperation and support for activities of foreign non-governmental organisations; enhance the application of modern technology and new media trends to improve the effectiveness of foreign affairs dissemination.

Sơn also said that the VUFO’s people-to-people diplomacy activities last year were closely attached and effectively contributed to high-level foreign affairs activities of the Party and State leaders.

Participants at a friendship meeting on Monday evening in Hà Nội.— VNA/VNS Photo An Đăng

It served to create a positive social foundation, promoting friendship relations and cooperation between Việt Nam and other countries.

The VUFO actively supported foreign non-governmental organisations in Việt Nam to take administrative procedures and connect with Vietnamese localities, ministries and sectors; coordinate with partners and sponsors to implement activities and projects in localities in many fields, he said.

2023 was a successful year for foreign affairs in general, including people-to-people diplomacy when many important results of historical significance were obtained, creating new breakthroughs as Việt Nam continued to upgrade diplomatic relations with many countries.

The VUFO sent 30 delegations to other countries and welcomed 32 delegations to Việt Nam, and organised nearly 1,000 foreign-affairs activities both bilaterally and multilaterally at both central and local levels, including the 50th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between Việt Nam and 16 countries; working with many high-level delegations from other countries visiting Việt Nam. — VNS