An overview of the meeting. Photo: VNA

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh received Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Audrey Azoulay in Hanoi on June 28, aksing the organisation's continued recognition of cultural heritages of Vietnam and support to the conservation of the already-recognised ones.

The meeting, part of the UNESCO leader's second visit to Vietnam, highlighted the country’s appreciation of UNESCO’s role and reaffirmed the long-standing, substantive, and increasingly effective partnership between Vietnam and the organisation over the past five decades.

The PM praised Azoulay's valuable contributions to UNESCO and global civilisation throughout her two terms.

He emphasised that culture has always held a special position in Vietnam’s development philosophy, standing alongside Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought.

Recalling President Ho Chi Minh’s words – “culture lights the way for the nation” – the PM reiterated that culture is a vital internal resource and a spiritual foundation that bridges past, present and future.

He underlined Vietnam’s determination to promote its over-4,000-year-old culture imbued with national identity, modernise its cultural institutions, and expand cultural and creative industries to enhance public access to cultural values. He said Vietnam seeks to contribute to global civilisation while promoting Vietnamese culture internationally.

PM Chinh expressed his satisfaction with the growing Vietnam–UNESCO relationship, noting that the 72 UNESCO-recognised titles held by Vietnam have become important national brands contributing to sustainable socio-economic development.

He reiterated Vietnam’s commitment to active and effective participation in UNESCO’s key governance mechanisms.

The Government leader thanked UNESCO, particularly Azoulay personally, for supporting Vietnam–UNESCO ties, and expressed his hope that the organisation will continue to act as a cultural partner in elevating Vietnamese values globally. He proposed that UNESCO support Vietnam in heritage conservation, cultural vision-building, and human resources training in cultural sectors.

He asked the UNESCO Director-General to support Vietnam’s nomination of the Yen Tu – Vinh Nghiem – Con Son, Kiep Bac complex as a World Cultural Heritage site at the upcoming July session of the World Heritage Committee. He described it as a spiritually rich and sacred historical-cultural site linked to the Truc Lam Zen Buddhism tradition that promotes peace, harmony and compassion – values that remain relevant today.

Vietnam hopes for UNESCO's continued support for preserving the Thang Long Imperial Citadel, especially the restoration of Kinh Thien Palace; the inscription of Dong Ho folk painting art as an intangible cultural heritage; the inclusion of Hanoi in the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities; and support for Ho Chi Minh City’s bid to join the Creative Cities Network.

For her part, Azoulay expressed her delight at returning to Vietnam, a committed and responsible member of the UNESCO system. She thanked Vietnam for its strong cooperation and support in enhancing UNESCO’s role in the 21st century, particularly in its governance bodies.

The UNESCO Director-General voiced deep admiration for Vietnam’s cultural depth and over-4,000-year history, commending the country’s strategic vision in culture. She pledged to work with Vietnam to amplify this vision globally and ensure culture assumes a stronger role in the post-2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

Azoulay praised Vietnam as a model in safeguarding and promoting heritage, both tangible and intangible, from World Heritage Sites to Global Geoparks, Creative Cities, and Learning Cities – initiatives that are meaningful and replicable worldwide.

She reaffirmed UNESCO’s readiness to accompany Vietnam in its cultural development journey, heritage protection, and contributions to global civilisation.

She pledged UNESCO’s support for Vietnam’s proposed nominations and confirmed the organisation’s willingness to assist Vietnam in its ongoing reform and global integration efforts, especially in the digital era, including AI-related human resources training with private sector collaboration./.