Delegation at the event. — VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — The HCM City People’s Committee on November 14 welcomed the 48th Ship for the Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Programme (SSEAYP) delegation.

This is a part of their ongoing visit to the city from November 14-17.

Delegates are outstanding young people who passed many selection rounds to represent their countries to participate in the meaningful SSEAYP voyage.

Võ Văn Hoan, Vice Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee expressed his hope that each delegate will share their country’s success stories while bringing the culture and people of HCM City closer to international communities.

Under the programme themed 'Youth Participation,' delegates join six discussions, including Soft Power and Youth People to People Diplomacy, Economic Growth and Sustainable Community, Global Environment and Climate Change, Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery, Good Health and Well-being, and Digital Society.

In 2024, Việt Nam celebrates its 25th year of participation in the programme. The National Committee on Youth of Việt Nam has hosted the SSEAYP ship in HCM City 18 times.

“The delegates present here are outstanding young faces, having passed many rounds of selection to represent their country in the meaningful SSEAYP journey," said Vice Chairman of HCM City People’s Committee Võ Văn Hoan.

"Your presence is not only a joy but also an opportunity for the people and youth of HCM City to fully express their friendship and hospitality, as well as introduce the history, culture, society and developmental achievements of the city,” Hoan added

The SSEAYP program has always received much affection and attention from the people and youth of the city. The return of the Nippon Maru Ship to HCMC affirmed the enduring friendship between Southeast Asian countries and Japan.

Shunsuke Fujimori, Executive Director of the International Youth Exchange Program at the Cabinet Office of Japan and Administrator of the 48th SSEAYP Program, sincerely thanked the National Committee on Youth of Việt Nam and Vietnamese agencies for their continuous support and commitment to SSEAYP and shared that this was a memorable visit after five years interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

SSEAYP is a collaborative initiative between the governments of the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Japan, aimed at fostering friendship and exchanges among youth from ASEAN and Japan.

A warm welcome of HCM City to the Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Programme (SSEAYP) delegation. VNA/VNS Photo

The programme, initiated in 1974, has enjoyed Viet Nam's participation since 1995. Its primary objective is to strengthen mutual understanding and friendship among young people from Japan and ASEAN countries.

For each participant, this programme offers a unique opportunity to explore and experience diverse cultures within the region, thus enhancing their capacity for international integration.

The arrival of the Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program in HCM City provides an excellent platform to introduce to international friends a generation of HCM City youth who embody the spirit of “Patriotism, Solidarity, Proactiveness, Creativity, and Integration” in this new era of national development.

Việt Nam officially joined SSEAYP in 1996, after becoming a member of ASEAN in July 1995.

Since then, the Vietnamese contingent has left a profound and special mark on the programme.

The Southeast Asian and Japanese Youth Ship docked at Tân Cảng - Hiệp Phước Port and operated in Hồ Chí Minh City from November 14 to November 17. The programme took place with the participation of 168 delegates from nine ASEAN countries, Timor-Leste and Japan, of which Việt Nam had 15 delegates. VNS