Cuong was accompanying Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh during a trip to the UK to attend the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) from October 31 to November 3.
He said Vietnam and the UK have promoted and obtained certain progress in cultural collaboration, especially through cooperation activities with the British Council. He appreciated the council’s coordination with and support for Vietnam to implement the development strategy for cultural industries.
The Deputy Minister asked the British Council to keep working with his ministry to help effectively implement the joint statement on the Vietnam – UK strategic partnership.
He called for more assistance for Vietnam to develop cultural industries and apply IT to the creation of arts, suggesting the council share experience and knowledge to help the country carry out a project on developing creative cities for joining the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, and capitalise on cultural heritage in tourism development.
Representatives of the British Council, including Regional Director for Education and Society in East Asia Alison Barrett, Director of the council’s Global Network Charlie Walker, and Director for Strategy and Marketing Christopher Wade, said Vietnam holds a specially important position in its activities.
The British Council will step up youth-oriented activities through arts programmes and projects so as to encourage the young to express their ideas and propose solutions to social issues like climate change and migration. It will also develop handbooks for start-ups in cultural, artistic, and creative sectors, they noted.
The two sides agreed to coordinate with each other to organise events marking the 50th founding anniversary of the Vietnam – UK diplomatic relations in 2023. They will also keep enhancing ties in cultural and creative sectors, thereby helping to foster the two countries’ strategic partnership in the time ahead.
