The people-to-people diplomacy has played a pivotal role in fostering friendship between Da Nang people and other countries, promoting the city to international friends, and creating favourable conditions for the city's progress.

Children performing yoga at the international yoga performance programme - Da Nang 2024. Photo: T.P

Since the beginning of the year, the municipal Union of Friendship Organisations has organised many cultural, artistic and sports exchange activities between Da Nang and other foreign countries such as Japan, Russia, India and France.

Notable among them was the Da Nang International Mass Yoga Performance 2024 programme in June, attracting 1,500 yoga instructors, practitioners, and enthusiasts, including many friends from India and other countries.

Most of the events have been in large-scale, have had widespread influence, and left good impressions in the hearts of people and international friends, thereby contributing to turning Da Nang into an event and festival centre at regional and international levels.

According to Chairman of the municipal Union of Friendship Organisations Nguyen Ngoc Binh, from now until the end of 2024, the Union plans to organise many important international events such as the final round of the National Chinese Speech Contest - Da Nang 2024, the National Japanese Singing Festival - Da Nang 2024, the final round of the National Japanese Speech Contest - Da Nang 2024, and the International Youth and Children's Arts Festival - Da Nang 2024.

"We hope that the upcoming events will significantly contribute to introducing the culture and people of countries around the world to the people of Da Nang, and promoting the image of Da Nang in the international arena, thereby strengthening friendship and cooperation with international friends", Mr. Binh expressed.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Binh emphasised that people-to-people diplomacy acted as a bridge to connect and foster the relationship between Viet Nam and countries around the world to become closer, understanding, connected, and trusting of each other. Therefore, people-to-people diplomacy is considered to be the important foundation for developing good relations between Da Nang and international partners, thereby boosting the local socio-economic development.

In July 2024, the Union coordinated with Catalyste+ (Canada) to organize the international workshop entitled "Women and Innovative Startups" to support women to do business successfully, contributing positively to the city's socio-economic development goals.

It can be said that people-to-people exchange activities deepen political diplomacy and strengthen economic cooperation in the city.

In recent years, Da Nang's foreign direct investment (FDI) attraction has grown in terms of capital and production scale.

According to Mr. Yoshida Kenji, Head of Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) representative office in Viet Nam, the development of cultural and people-to-people exchange activities between Japan and Viet Nam is one of the main pillars in developing the relationship between the two countries.

Especially, people-to-people exchanges contribute to reinforcing the development of tourism. Moreover, tourism itself also opens up many opportunities for exchange and connection of traditional cultural beauties between the two countries.

In the first 5 months of 2024, Viet Nam welcomed a total of 284,300 Japanese travellers, the highest number ever, up 108.5% compared to the same period in 2023.

"We hope that more Japanese tourists will return to Viet Nam to visit Da Nang, and we will also promote the attractiveness of Da Nang to Japanese tourists" said Mr. Yoshida Kenji.

Reporting by THANH PHUONG - Translating by M.DUNG, T.TUNG