A performance of ao dai at the Tet programme held by the Association for the Promotion of Vietnamese Culture (APCV) in France (Photo: VNA)Visitors to the January 14 event,including Vietnamese and French, were impressed with a show of “ao dai” (atraditional costume of Vietnam), performances of the country’s martial art Vovinam,and traditional dishes, among others.
The programme also aimed to mark the50th anniversary of the two countries’ diplomatic ties and 10 yearssince the establishment of the strategic partnership.
Éric Pliez, Mayor of the 20th arrondissement of Paris, said he was delighted to attend the Tet celebrationand witness the development of the APCV, one of the 3,000 associationsoperating in the arrondissement.
Vietnamese Ambassador to France DinhToan Thang highly valued the APCV’s organisation of the programme, especiallywhen Vietnam and France are marking 50 years of their diplomatic relations and10 years of the strategic partnership in 2023.
He said what the association has doneto popularise and preserve the Vietnamese culture are highly encouraging, and thatcontributions by each people will help reinforce the two countries’ friendship.
The diplomat also called for the APCV’scontinued efforts to educate younger generations about the friendship andsolidarity.
Founded in January 2019, the APCV gathersmore than 200 members who are Vietnamese people and foreigners in fivecountries, namely France, the US, Sweden, Japan, and Vietnam. Aside from theheadquarters in Paris, it also has branches in San Francisco of the US, Hanoi,and Ho Chi Minh City.
In celebration of the biggest traditionalfestival, the Embassy of Vietnam in Italy has held a hybrid programmeconnecting the Vietnamese communities in Italy, Cyprus, and Malta.
Similar events have also been organised bythe embassies in Canada, South Africa, and Belgium.
The coming Lunar New Year, the Year of theCat, will start on January 22./.
VNA
