Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn (R) hosts a reception in Hà Nội on Monday for Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre Lazare Eloundou Assomo. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn hosted a reception in Hà Nội on March 27 for Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre Lazare Eloundou Assomo, who is paying a visit to Việt Nam.

Son stressed UNESCO’s important role in maintaining and consolidating peace, sustainable development and prosperity of countries worldwide, and in preserving and promoting heritage and cultural values of humankind in particular.

Việt Nam had worked to contribute to major UNESCO mechanisms to which it is a member such as the Executive Board, the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Convention for the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, he said.

The minister noted that Việt Nam always attached importance to culture, considering it a spiritual foundation of the society, a target and momentum of national development.

He appreciated the support of Assomo himself and the centre for the recognition, conservation and promotion of cultural and natural heritages of Việt Nam, saying he believes that the world heritages in Việt Nam have significantly contributed to raising living standards of local residents as well as national socio-economic development.

For his part, Assomo expressed his good impression of Việt Nam during his first visit, and lauded the country’s efforts in managing, conserving and promoting world heritage values.

He also highly valued Việt Nam’s approach in ensuring the balance and harmony between heritage preservation and development, and called the country a model in heritage conservation and promotion.

Việt Nam’s experience in this regard should be shared with other countries, he said.

Assomo affirmed that the centre always accompanied and provided the best support for Việt Nam in the conservation and promotion of world heritage sites; and commits to supporting Việt Nam's world heritage nomination documents in the near future.

The centre would provide consultations for and assist the country in management, conservation and promotion of its eight global heritage sites and back its bid for a seat in the World Heritage Committee in the 2023-2027 tenure, he said.

Earlier on March 24, Assomo was received by Deputy Foreign Minister and Chairman of the Việt Nam National Commission for UNESCO Hà Kim Ngọc, who underscored Việt Nam's commitment to the conservation and preservation of world heritages for future generations.

Asomo, for his part, appreciated the attention of Vietnamese leaders and communities to the management, conservation and promotion of world heritage values. Việt Nam is one of the countries with most effective implementation of the 1972 UNESCO Convention concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, according to the UNESCO official.

He was on a Việt Nam trip from March 24 to 27 at the invitation of Ngọc. VNS