Addressing the friendship meeting, President of the Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations (VUFO) Vu Xuan Hong spoke highly of the active and effective assistance by international friends to Vietnam over the last year. 

He said that with its foreign policy of independence, self-determination, diversification and multilateralism, Vietnam has been a responsible member of the international community as the rotating President of the UN Security Council. 

He said he hoped that Vietnam would receive continued support and cooperation from the international community in 2010 as the country hosts a large number of major, important events. 

In 2009, foreign NGOs provided more than US$271.5 million to Vietnam and implemented over 2,000 projects in 63 provinces and cities. This foreign aid was mainly poured into the areas of health, education, socio-economic development, and natural resources management. 

Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Fredesman Turro Gonzalez praised the VUFO’s activities and programmes over the last year and expressed his belief that the union will continue serving as a bridge to strengthen the friendship and mutual understanding among nations.