Spech of Prof. Trinh Ngoc Trinh Director of HEDO on the 2nd National Conference of Vietnam- Britain Friendship Association (Hanoi 19th March 2008)

Dear the Chairman of Vietnam Peace and Friendship Association Mr. Nguyen Xuan Hong,
Dear Mr. Ho Si Thoang, chairman of Vietnam- Britain Friendship Association,
Dear HM UK Ambassador to Vietnam Mr. Mark AG Kent.
Dear Presidiums
Distinguish Guests,

The Vietnamese- Britain Friendship Association was just founded and operated only for the first term 5 years but it has built the solid foundation with many interesting activities and a lot of experience about public diplomacy, friendship development, cooperation between the 2 countries Vietnam and United Kingdom.
1. In the past years, our association has had a good relationship with the UK Embassy, especially through our members such as the UK Anumi club for the people who worked and studied in the UK and through the Highland Education Development Organisation (HEDO Vietnam) our office. There are many times that the Ambassador came to work with HEDO or go with HEDO’s leaders to check projects funded by British Embassy in Tuyen Quang, Bac Kan, Kontum, Gia lai, Dac Lac. The Ambassador was very interested in the activities of the Vietnam- Britain Friendship Association and we have introduced to the Ambassador the activities and works of our association.
2. In the last term, our association has built a good relationship and tight cooperation with the Britain- Vietnam Friendship Association. We has created good conditions for Britain- Vietnam Friendship Association to operate such as dissemination works to members and our organization has built up programs for Mr. Len Aldis, General Secretary of Britain- Vietnam Friendship Association to give scholarships for poor pupils, visiting and talking with universities, studying about social economic of some ethnic minority provinces. When he came back to the UK, he wrote many articles to introduce about the education development, health and hunger elimination of Vietnam in English newspaper, mostly in the “ Morning Star” and association report “ Vietnam Report”. Our Association and members of our Association HEDO Vietnam has nominated and was granted medals for the head of 2 organizations, Mr. Len Aldis- general secretary of Britain- Vietnam Friendship Association, Dr Madeleine Sharp- Hon secretary and teacher Margaret Methley- Chairwoman of Medical and Scientific Aid for Vietnam, Lao and Cambodia ( MSA.V.L.C) who were given medals directly by president of Vietnam Nguyen Minh Triet in the National Assembly house, at Ba Dinh square. Many English friends who support and admire Vietnam were impressed by the event.
3. One important achievement is that our association has set up the Anumi for the people who studied and love the UK with the Chairman of Mr. Hoang van Dung. The club has many interesting activities to unify people who used to have good education of the UK for promoting their talents to make better country and to be grateful to universities, teachers and education of UK in training talented people for Vietnam that was emphasized by the 2 prime ministers of Vietnam and UK Nguyen Tan Dung and Gordon Brown in the “Vietnam- UK joint declaration” in March 2008.
Our Association has carried out a lot of activities to strengthen the solitary, friendship, cooperation and development of Vietnam and UK such as forming member branches, organize competitions “ To get to know UK people and Country”, exchange ideas with delegations, attend the children summer camp in the UK... But the others members of our enthusiastic Vietnam-Britain Frienship Association can talk more deeply about these matters:
Now I would like to have petition on some matters:
1. Our Vietnam- Britain Friendship Association need to take more advantages and helps of the British Embassy, especially the Ambassador.
I believe that the HM Ambassador Mark A.G Kent and officers of the British Embassy will welcome these ideas because support our Association is to help to boost strongly the implementation of “ Vietnam- UK joint declaration” between the 2 prime ministers have signed “ Building partners for development” and is help to carry out the declaration of our prime minister Nguyen Tan Dung “ Vietnam will do the best to promote the relationship with the UK” in the meeting with HM Ambassador Mr. Mark A.G Kent in the afternoon of April 17th 2008.
I think that firstly we need helps about informatics technology, providing us documents about the development of social economic, education, culture and art of the United Kingdom, the relationship and cooperation of the 2 countries... That work will bring the big benefit not only now but also in the long term, not only for our Central Association but for basic associations as well to promote cooperation in culture, education and economic... and also deepen understanding about history, art and culture, tradition... to consolidate and develop solidarity and respectation, cooperation between the 2 countries Vietnam and UK.
In addiction to that there are many works that the HM Ambassador of UK can help our Association such as understanding more about the Britain country and its people, exchange delegations, people of 2 countries, invite officers of the Embassy to visit, talk with the branches of Vietnam- UK Friendship Association in the localities on the occasion of the independence’s day of UK... In Vietnam we have a saying “ Khac di, Khac den”, “ if you love each other, you can do many good things”.
2. Supplying concrete guidances for branches of Vietnam- UK friendship Association to obtain the objectives of the association is promoting the solidarity for mutual understanding, cooperation and development between 2 countries and its people Vietnam- UK, creating variety activities. Organize to approach directly to International organizations, companies and English people who are working in Vietnam.
3. It is necessary to propagandize, mobilize to form more branches of Vietnam-Britain Friendship Association to enhance the achievements of our association. We need more exchanging information, mutual cooperation between the Central Association and branch Associations to make the strong combination achievements of our association in the time to come.
4. Central committee should be divided into subcommittee according to the big special subjects allocate jobs to branch associations.

From this forum, I, on behalf of HEDO would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Central Vietnam- Britain Friendship Association, especially the chairman Ho Si Thoang for his last term who followed hard, encouraged and created condition for HEDO to provide better service for ethnic minority people in our beloved Vietnam country.

Thank you very much for your attention!