Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son hosts a reception for Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Center Lazare Eloundou Assomo in Hanoi on March 27, 2023. (photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)

Mr. Son affirmed that Vietnam has 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.

The minister noted that Vietnam always attaches importance to culture, considering it a spiritual foundation of the society, a target and momentum of national development. He underlined that world heritages in Vietnam have significantly contributed to raising living standards of local residents as well as national socio-economic development.

Mr. Assomo highly valued Vietnam’s approach in ensuring the balance and harmony between heritage preservation and development, and called the country a model in heritage conservation and promotion.

Vietnam’s experience in this regard should be shared with other countries, he said. Assomo affirmed that the centre always accompanies and provides the best support for Vietnam in the conservation and promotion of world heritages, and commits to supporting Vietnam's world heritage nomination documents in the near future.