Angel Miguel Bastidas Gonzalez, former second Secretary at the Venezuelan Embassy to Vietnam, has won second prize of the National External Information Service Awards 2017 with his book about Vietnam. The book, titled Xin chao or Hello, not only shows the author’s love for Vietnam but also acts as a bridge connecting the two countries. Angel Miguel Bastidas Gonzalez said: "For me, Vietnam plays a special role in my heart. The country’s beautiful landscapes, simple stories about its life, culture and people are those I never forget and I always share them with my friends and family. Though being a small country, Vietnam defeated big enemies. Vietnam is a good example for other countries in the world. I love Vietnam for its solidarity and resilience. " Miguel expressed his love for Vietnam in his own way, he wrote a book about the country. The book is a collection of his 300 articles which were published on the “Xin Chao” column of a Venezuelan newspaper, Correo del Orinoco. The articles tell the stories of President Ho Chi Minh, General Vo Nguyen Giap, the heroes, soldiers and historical events in Vietnam and Venezuela. They not only show the author’s deep understanding of the culture and people of Vietnam but also his great love for the country. Anguel Miguel Bastidas Gonzalez said: "I started to learn about Vietnam when I was a teenager. At that time, Vietnam was fighting against the US invaders. The more I learned, the more I loved the country. When I started working in Vietnam in 2007, I decided to write as many stories as I could about your beautiful country to introduce it to my friends and other people." With this book, the diplomat won second prize of the National External Information Service Awards 2017, contributing to the development of the Vietnam-Venezuela ties. Le Duy Truyen, Vice Chairman of Vietnam-Venezuela Friendship Association said: "Angel’s articles contribute to bettering the two countries’ ties. Not only Miguel but also many other Venezuelans are making contribution to developing relations between the two nations." Having spent 10 years in Hanoi, Miguel’s love for Vietnam has kept increasing. He always tells stories about Vietnam and the cooperation between Vietnam and Venezuela to his family, especially his niece named “Hanoi”. –VNA