The Embassy of the Netherlands in Viet Nam and the People’s Committee of Can Tho city on November 10 opened the Dutch Cultural Festival with a wide range of activities held to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Viet Nam-Netherlands diplomatic relations.
Highlights of the event were a parade of orange bikes, a photo exhibition, and an area to introduce the Netherlands’ cuisine.
Other activities such as a seminar titled “the Netherlands stands side by side with Viet Nam towards a sustainable future for the Mekong Delta”, a Dutch education workshop, a field trip to the Netherlands’ The Fruit Republic Company in the Mekong Delta city, and film screening promoting the European country’s culture.
Dutch Ambassador Elsbeth Akkerman affirmed that with close relations over the past 45 years, Viet Nam and the Netherlands will see new developments in fostering trade, culture, tourism and education.
On the basis of the two strategic cooperative agreements on adaptation to climate change and water management, and agriculture and food safety, the Netherlands will maintain its efforts to help Viet Nam build and implement plans to increase the livelihood for people in regions prone to climate change, and intensify technology application in sustainable and environmentally-friendly agricultural production, she added.
Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Truong Quang Hoai Nam emphasised the Netherlands is a strategic partner of Vietnam in general and the Mekong Delta in particular.
Therefore, with its role as the centre of the region, Can Tho will try its utmost in attracting investment, upgrading infrastructure and reforming administrative procedures to expand trade and cultural exchanges with the European nation, thus helping bilateral relations match with both sides’ potential and advantages, Nam affirmed.