Vietnam will also participate in many cultural events abroad, including the Italian Cultural Festival and the International Puppetry Festival, said Nguyen Van Tinh, Head of the ministry's Department of International Cooperation.

In addition, the country will organize a Vietnam-Japan cultural exchange forum and celebrate the 45th anniversary of the establishment of Vietnam-Laos relations and the 40th anniversary of ASEAN.

Last year, 400 Vietnamese delegations with over 1,500 members were sent abroad for cultural exchange.

Vietnamese traditional arts were introduced at various international and regional festivals such as the Southeast Asia Puppetry Festival in Indonesia, the Asian Arts Festival and the Chinese-ASEAN Arts Festival in China. Vietnamese films were screened at festivals in Fukuoka (Japan), Pusan (the Republic of Korea) and Shanghai (China). The film "Chuyen cua Pao" (Pao's Story), directed by Ngo Quang Hai, received the Special Award at the 51st Asian-Pacific Film Festival held in Taiwan in late November.

The Central Highlands' gong performance art, Hue royal music and Hanoi's ceremonial songs drew enthusiastic applause from European audience at the Torine International Music Festival in Italy in mid-September last year.

Exhibitions on Vietnamese fine art and handicraft products in Belgium and Luxembourg attracted large numbers of visitors. A week of Vietnamese culture was held for the first time in Egypt, providing North African people with an insight into the country's oriental culture, land and people.

Vietnam hosted many festivals, exhibitions and fairs in a number of American countries with the aim of promoting mutual understanding and paving the way for further cooperation with these countries in culture and art. Vietnam signed and implemented many cultural agreements and cultural exchange programs with Cuba, Venezuela, Dominica, Chile, Canada, the US and Mexico.

VOVNews/VNA