Paris (VNA) – Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son had ameeting in Paris on June 5 with United Nations Educational, Scientific andCultural Organisation (UNESCO) Director-General Audrey Azoulay, who affirmedthat Vietnam has always been a responsible member and one of the pioneeringcountries in implementing UNESCO programmes and activities.

The UNESCO leader recalled her good memories during hervisit to Vietnam last September.

She highly valued the important and effective contributionsthat Vietnam has made to the common work of the organisation as a member of theUNESCO Executive Board for the 2021-2025 tenure, the Vice Chair of the UNESCOIntergovernmental Committee of the 2005 Convention on the Protection andPromotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, and a member of the IntergovernmentalCommittee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Vietnam is a successful model in the connection of economicdevelopment and culture, she underlined.

For his part, Son affirmed the important role that UNESCO plays in maintainingand reinforcing peace, sustainable development and prosperity of nations overthe past 80 years, and expressed delight at the growing partnership betweenVietnam and the organisation.

He affirmed that Vietnam will continue to actively andresponsively engage in UNESCO works and implement its international commitments. In this spirit, Vietnam will run for a seat at the UNESCO World Heritage Committee for the 2023-2027 tenureto work with other countries in completing policies and promoting measures toprotect the world's cultural and natural heritage, he said, expressing hope toreceive support from UNESCO.

Son asked the UNESCO Director-General to continuesupporting Vietnam during the country’s international integration and developmentprocess, including the provison of resources for the implementation of thememorandum of understanding on cooperation between Vietnam and UNESCO inthe 2021-2025 period.

Vietnam hopes to receive policy consultations and experiencesharing from the organisation to assist the country in socio-economic recovery anddevelopment, he said, suggesting that UNESCO considers the strengthening ofcooperation with Vietnam in education, sustainable development, climate changeresponse, basic science, sustainablemanagement of water resources, marine scientific research, and conservation andpromotion of heritage values.

The Vietnamese FM said he hopes Azoulay and the UNESCOSecretariat will support Vietnam’s dossiers to seek recognition for newheritages such as Ha Long Bay-Cat Ba archipelago, Yen Tu-Con Son-Kiep Bac relicand landscape complex, Oc Eo - BaThe and Con Moong archaeological sites as well as dossiers for intangibleheritages such as the festival honouring the holy lady of Mount Sam, and Dong Hofolk painting. Vietnam also hopes to receive assistance in preserving andpromoting the values of UNESCO-recognised world heritage sites, including theThang Long Imperial Citadel.

The UNESCO leader agreed with Son's proposals oncooperation orientations in the coming time, affirming that UNESCO willcontinue to support Vietnam in areas of education, culture, science andinformation-communications, while assisting the country in preserving andpromoting the heritage values as well as sustainably developing biosphere reserves in Vietnam.

UNESCO will also assist Vietnam in building dossiers ofnew heritages as well as preserving UNESCO-recognised heritages, includingthe Thang Long Imperial Citadel, she pledged.

Son took the occasion to invite UNESCO leaders to join theinternational conference on preserving and promoting the values of UNESCOtitles for sustainable development in Vietnam, which is slated for July inNinh Binh province. Azoulay said that she will send one of her assistants to theevent./.