Mr. Le Ngoc Dinh - former Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam, Chairman of the Vietnam-Japan Cultural Exchange Association, was honored to receive a Certificate of Merit from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan.
On the evening of March 14, the ceremony to present the Certificate of Merit from the Japanese Foreign Minister to Mr. Le Ngoc Dinh, former Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam, Chairman of the Vietnam-Japan Cultural Exchange Association was held at the private residence of the Japanese Ambassador in Hanoi.
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| Deputy Ambassador of Japan to Vietnam, Consul Watanabe Shige presented the Certificate of Merit from the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan to Mr. Le Ngoc Dinh. (Photo: Le An) |
Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Ambassador of Japan to Vietnam, Consul Watanabe Shige expressed his appreciation for Mr. Le Ngoc Dinh's wholehearted efforts and contributions to the cultural exchange and cooperation relationship between the two countries over many years...
Deputy Ambassador Watanabe Shige said that from 2006-2022, Mr. Le Ngoc Dinh continuously contributed to strengthening the close friendship between Japan and Vietnam in his position as Deputy Director of the Department of International Cooperation.
During this time, he coordinated to welcome many delegations of Japanese experts and implemented cooperation projects between the two countries on the preservation and restoration of cultural heritages such as Hoi An ancient town, My Son relic site, and Hue royal court music.
In addition, he provided great support in preparing and completing necessary procedures to establish the Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam under the Japan Foundation in 2008.
This is the premise for the Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam to come into operation, organize many annual cultural events, contributing to promoting Vietnamese people's understanding of Japanese culture.
Besides working at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Mr. Dinh also participated in activities at the Vietnam-Japan Cultural Exchange Association and has made great contributions to this field between the two countries for more than 30 years since the Association was established in 1992.
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| Deputy Ambassador Watanabe Shige expressed his gratitude for Mr. Le Ngoc Dinh's great contributions in promoting relations between the two countries through cultural exchanges. |
According to the Deputy Ambassador, during the period when cultural exchange activities between Japan and Vietnam were not as vibrant as they are now, Mr. Le Ngoc Dinh played a pioneering role, coordinating the organization of many programs such as the Cherry Blossom Festival in Hanoi and many other festivals in provinces and cities across the country.
These activities have helped introduce to Vietnamese people traditional Japanese culture such as Ikebana flower arrangement, Kabuki, Noh as well as diverse forms of Japanese culture such as animation, music, and cinema.
In 2022, Mr. Le Ngoc Dinh will assume the position of Chairman of the Vietnam-Japan Cultural Exchange Association and Director of the Sugi Ryotaro Nui Truc Japanese Language Center, continuing to actively contribute to the development of Japan-Vietnam cultural and exchange activities as well as Japanese language education.
In 2023, the year marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Japan-Vietnam diplomatic relations, the Vietnam-Japan Cultural Exchange Association organized many events, including the Vietnam-Japan Folk Song Translation Contest, the Vietnam-Japan Cultural Exchange Festival 2023 and the Yosakoi Festival, attracting the participation of a large public, especially young people.
Mr. Watanabe Shige emphasized: “Over the past year, 500 50th anniversary programs were held in both countries. I believe that cultural exchanges between the two countries can become as vibrant as they are today thanks in part to the foundation created by Mr. Le Ngoc Dinh’s tireless efforts.
From the bottom of my heart, I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your great contributions in promoting relations between the two countries through cultural exchanges.”
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| Mr. Le Ngoc Dinh and his family took a souvenir photo with the Deputy Ambassador and his wife. (Photo: Le An) |
At the ceremony, on behalf of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam, Deputy Minister Hoang Dao Cuong congratulated Mr. Le Ngoc Dinh and thanked the leaders of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam for their assessments and recognition of Mr. Dinh's contributions to cultural, sports and tourism cooperation between Vietnam and Japan in recent times.
According to the Deputy Minister, Mr. Le Ngoc Dinh is an example of a foreign affairs officer who loves his job and is dedicated to his work for future generations to follow and learn from.
His contributions have been recognized by the Party and State of Vietnam, and he has been awarded many prizes, including the Second Class Labor Medal. At the same time, Mr. Le Ngoc Dinh has been awarded many noble prizes and titles by many countries such as Laos, South Korea, and the Russian Federation.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism hopes that, with his extensive experience in foreign affairs, Mr. Le Ngoc Dinh will continue to contribute to the development of Vietnam-Japan cooperation in the fields of culture, sports and tourism.
On this occasion, the Deputy Minister highly appreciated the very effective cooperation of the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam and the Ambassador in recent times, who has continuously promoted cultural, sports and tourism cooperation between Vietnam and Japan.
The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism hopes to receive more support and cooperation from the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam so that Vietnam-Japan cultural, sports and tourism cooperation continues to actively contribute to strengthening friendship and promoting the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.
Receiving this noble Certificate of Merit, Mr. Le Ngoc Dinh expressed his gratitude to the leaders of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Embassy of Japan in Vietnam, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Vietnam, and the Vietnam - Japan Cultural Exchange Association for their appreciation of his contributions in the past time.
He said that this honor belongs to the officials, specialists, experts, and artists of the Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism of Vietnam, to the officials, employees, and members of the Vietnam-Japan Cultural Exchange Association, and he is the lucky person to receive the award.
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| Delegates attending the ceremony took a souvenir photo. (Photo: Le An) |
Mr. Dinh shared: “In my more than 30 years of work, continuously from 1992 to present, I have had the opportunity to be attached to the culture, country and people of Japan. Together with my Vietnamese and Japanese colleagues and partners, I have participated in drafting, signing and implementing plans and programs for cultural cooperation between the two countries, both bilaterally and multilaterally, and have directly participated in organizing many exchange programs, festivals and celebrations in both countries.”
He said that in the future, the Vietnam-Japan Cultural Exchange Association is aiming to annually organize festivals and cultural exchange events between the two countries in Vietnam.
He believes that these cooperation and exchange activities have been contributing to promoting the friendly cooperative relationship, understanding and empathy between the people of the two countries.
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