40th anniversary of Norwegian–Vietnamese relations

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Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh,
Ambassador Ståle Torstein Risa,

Dear friends and all of you who are contributing to the good relations between Norway and Vietnam.

It gives me great pleasure to be here for this celebration of 40 years of diplomatic relations between Norway and Vietnam.

There are close bilateral relations between our countries, and these ties are becoming more closely woven, more colourful, in a number of sectors: trade and commerce, energy and the management of natural resources, higher education and research, the environment, and not least culture. Just to mention a few.

We meet every year for bilateral political consultations, where a number of issues of common interest – both bilateral and international – are broadly discussed. 

In addition, we have a separate annual human rights dialogue, which includes exchange of information and viewpoints, and frank, direct discussions of human rights issues and challenges – including in areas where our views may diverge.

In the field of cultural cooperation – which is a major chapter in itself – I would particularly like to highlight the very successful project ”Transposition”. This multi-year project is funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It is a cooperation between 12 academies of music in Norway and Vietnam, with the goal of strengthening both our cultural ties and Vietnamese administrative and artistic expertise in the field of classical music.

This evening, we can look forward to an inspiring concert – arranged under this cooperation programme. The concert will feature two very promising young violinists, Do Phuong Nhi and Ludvig Gudim, under the direction of the Norwegian conductor Alf Richard Kraggerud.

During the celebration of the 40th anniversary in Norway, the Vietnamese Embassy in Oslo arranged the performance “Spirit of Vietnamese Lotus” – which will gave a taste of the unique cultural traditions that Vietnam has to offer.

It is particularly gratifying to see the growing cultural cooperation between our countries. Culture is often the foundation of bilateral relations between countries – and not just the icing on the cake! It provides a platform, a basis, for developing contacts and cooperation in a wide range of areas, including political issues, commerce, research and development, and technology. Culture can function as a universal language, giving us common experiences that we can share despite linguistic and other barriers to communication.   

The much acclaimed exhibition of Vietnamese contemporary art “Lim Dim” was shown at Museum Stenersen in Oslo in 2009. Artist and curator Tran Luong brought works by some very interesting and innovative artists to Oslo, and “Lim Dim” – which can roughly be translated as “Partially Open Eyes” – is still talked about in Norway.

Another example of our cultural cooperation is the Danang Sculpture Centre, where the Norwegian sculptor Øyvin Storbækken is the artistic driving force. About 10 years ago, the Fine Arts Association in Danang contacted Mr Storbækken, and – with a little assistance from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs – a small academy has been established for young Vietnamese sculptors.

Members of the Standing Committee on Family and Cultural Affairs of the Norwegian parliament – the Storting – visited Vietnam in March. They had several good meetings with the National Assembly and various ministries. They also had the pleasure of meeting Tran Luong and other Vietnamese artists from various genres and traditions in Hanoi and Hué.

They were interested to discover that Norwegian playwrights are popular in Vietnam. For example Henrik Ibsen’s Peer Gynt, Brand, A Doll’s House, and The Wild Duck – which the Committee saw in Vietnamese – are staged on a regular basis. I understand that a play by a contemporary Norwegian playwright – Jon Fosse – may be next in line.

Dear friends,
It is my hope that we will build even more “bridges of cooperation” and “windows of opportunity” between our countries and peoples, both within and beyond the area of culture.

I would like to conclude by wishing you all a memorable evening, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Norwegian-Vietnamese relations. 

Thank you.