Delegates pose for a photo at the opening ceremony of the 9th Asia-Oceania Congress of Esperanto (La9-a Oceania Kongreso de Esperanto), or AK-9 in Đà Nẵng on Friday. — VNS Photo Công Thành

ĐÀ NẴNG — The Universal Esperanto Association supported Việt Nam and built close ties since the country’s Esperanto Association was founded in 1957.

President of the Việt Nam Union of Friendship organisations Nguyễn Phương Nga made the statement at the opening ceremony of the 9th Asia-Oceania  Congress of Esperanto (La9-a Oceania Kongreso de Esperanto), or AK-9 in Đà Nẵng on Friday.

The congress, which has drawn nearly 300 delegates from 24 countries, reviewed the development of Esperanto and diversity of culture in Asia and Oceania.

Nga said the Universal Esperanto Association had a great contribution to peace and friendship among nations during its 100-year history.

“Many Esperanto scholars reserved their special love and sympathy to Việt Nam and Esperanto development in Việt Nam. It’s an honour for Việt Nam to host the event for the second time after the first edition in 1999,” Nga said.

“We all got together today in discussions for mass movement of Esperanto, boosting peace, co-operation and sustainable development worldwide,” she said.

Nga said Vietnamese people will never forget the sacrifice of the two Esperantists – Alice Herz of the US and Jui Cunosin of Japan – who self-immolated to protest the American War in Việt Nam.

She also said the Việt Nam Esperanto Association promoted Esperanto study among young people and introduced Vietnamese culture and history to worldwide through Esperanto language.

President of the Asia-Oceania Esperanto Association So Jinsu said the congress was an opportunity for Esperantists from the world exploring Vietnamese culture, land and people.

He said Việt Nam was seen as top four strongest Esperanto development nations in Asia including China, South Korea and Japan.

“Việt Nam once again welcomes all of us after 20 year since the first congress in Hà Nội in 1999. The congress this year in Đà Nẵng will help us understand more about culture diversity in Asia and the world through Esperanto,” Jinsu said.

Việt Nam hosted the 97th World Congress of Esperanto in Hà Nội in 2012.

President of the Việt Nam Esperanto Association Nguyễn Văn Lợi said Esperanto has been challenging other languages such as English.

He said members of the Universal Esperanto Association have been seeking ways to promote the mass development of Esperanto in tandem with business.

Lợi said the event offered Việt Nam and Đà Nẵng a chance to promote its image as a peace-loving country.

He said the Esperanto versions of Truyện Kiều (The Tale of Kiều), one of the most significant works of Vietnamese literature, written by poet Nguyễn Du more than 200 years ago, and Đặng Thùy Trâm's Diary – the 2005 Vietnamese best-seller, were published in 2012.

At the event, the Việt Nam Union of Friendship organisations also presented the campaign medals to members of Universal Esperanto Association and Asia-Oceania Esperanto Association for their contributions to Việt Nam's Esperanto development for peace and co-operation.

Esperanto, an artificial language created by Dr Lejzer Ludwik Zamenhof in 1887, aims to create an easy-to-learn and politically neutral language that transcends nationality.

The language is used in 100 countries in the world.

The Asia-Oceania Congress of Esperanto closes on Sunday. — VNS