Opening of Iran Cultural Week

Attending the opening ceremony were Mr. Hussein Alvandi Behineh (Ambassador of the Republic of Iran to Vietnam), Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa (Vice Principal of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities) and many staff and students of the University of Social Sciences and Humanities.

Mr. Hussein Alvandi Behineh and Associate Professor Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa cut the ribbon to open the exhibition. (Photo: Jackie Chan/USSH)

Mr. Hussein Alvandi Behineh delivered a speech at the opening ceremony, emphasizing the significance of this exhibition to introduce to Vietnamese teachers and students typical images of the country, people, culture, history, economic potential and achievements in diplomatic relations between the two countries in recent times. The Iranian Ambassador said that in the future, there will be more diverse activities to connect relations and mutual understanding between the people of the two countries, especially between the young generation. In the coming time, the Iranian Embassy hopes to cooperate with the University of Social Sciences and Humanities to establish an Iranian Studies major in Vietnam.

Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Thi Minh Hoa has recognized the remarkable results in cooperation between the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Embassy of Iran in recent years. The Embassy of Iran has supported the University in building the Iran Room, helped open Persian language classes for Vietnamese students, sent lecturers to teach at the University, supported the training of graduate students in Iran, organized many seminars and exhibitions, and art performances about Iran, etc.

The Iranian Cultural Week at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities will take place from February 24 to 28, 2014 with activities such as exhibition of paintings, photos, screening of Iranian films and an international scientific conference “Vietnam - Iran relations in the context of globalization”.

Delegates, students and visitors after the opening ceremony. (Photo: Jackie Chan/USSH)

Vietnam and Iran established diplomatic relations in August 1973. On January 22, 1991, Iran opened an embassy in Hanoi and in 1997, Vietnam opened an embassy in Tehran.

Over the past 40 years, many agreements and treaties between the two countries have been signed such as: General Agreement on Economic, Cultural and Scientific and Technical Cooperation (1993), Agreement on Cultural Cooperation (1995), Cooperation Agreement between the two Ministries of Foreign Affairs (June 2000), Air Transport Agreement (2001), Commercial Maritime Transport Agreement (2002), Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement, Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation in the Fisheries Sector between the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Vietnam and the Ministry of Agriculture of Iran, Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation between the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Minerals, Minutes of Negotiations to Unify the Content of the Draft Government-level Agreement on Cooperation and Administrative Assistance in the Customs Sector between Vietnam and Iran (December 2009)... From 2001 to 2011, two-way trade turnover between the two countries increased nearly 30 times, from $6.5 million to nearly $185 million.

Vietnam and Iran agreed to expand and diversify cooperative relations, promote existing capacities of both countries, and step up cooperation in the fields of economics, trade, investment, oil and gas exploitation, agriculture, tourism, culture, education and sports.