Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at a meeting with Vietnam Union of Literary and Art Associations on August 4 (Photo: VNA)Hanoi (VNA) – Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has lauded the might ofthe pen of writers and the paint brush of artists as well as theircontributions to the nation’s achievements.
He said that during the renovation period that had ushered in greatsocio-economic changes as well as artistic trends, the community of writers andartists had shown solidarity with the Party and the revolutionary cause.
They had also contributed significantly to national development, he added.
PM Phuc was speaking with the Vietnam Union of Literary and Art Associationsfor the first time in the capacity of the country’s Prime Minister in a meetingheld in Hanoi on August 4.
The union, established in 1943, operates under the leadership of the Party andthe management of the Government. It represents 40,000 artists and 74 memberart associations throughout the country.
“Uncle Ho considered artists and writers to be as powerful as an army, helpingbuild the soul and character of the Vietnamese people,” the PM said.
Union officials told the PM that in recent years, artistic works haveprogressed well, both in terms of quantity and quality. Many works showedprofound depth, they said.
On behalf of the union’s member associations, Chairman Huu Thinh presented a “9requests” petition to the PM aimed at alleviating difficulties and hardshipsfor artists nationwide.
One of the pressing concerns raised at the meeting was State support fortraditional arts that are losing ground against contemporary art forms. Financialsupport and access to social housing for struggling artists (in the form of anartist’s village) were also included in the requests.
Union members also asked the Government leader for provision of an annualworking capital instead of having artists going around seeking funds. Theproposal was accepted by the PM who said an annual fund of 90 billion VND (3.96million USD) will be made available.
Stressing the union’s role as a political, social, and vocational organisation,the PM suggested that it improves links between member associations and handlefinancial matters better. He urged the promotion of young talents and the tiesbetween different generations of artists.
He also told the union to take proactive measures to defend against theintrusion of negative cultural influences from the outside and ‘peacefulevolution’ attempts by hostile forces aiming to dilute socialist ideas.-VNA
VNA
