Head of the Delegation of the European Union (EU) Ambassador Bruno Angelet made the remark at a press conference held in Hanoi on May 4. The annual event is showcasing a range of intellectual and cultural activities, offering a fascinating journey through the richness of European cultures and multi-faceted cooperation between the EU and Vietnam.

Mash up: Belgian hip-hop group Les R’tardataires will perform in HCM City on May 12 and in Da Nang City on May 14 as part of rich activities of the “Europe Day 2017” programme.

Ambassador Bruno Angelet said: “On the May 9, we will celebrate Europe Day. We are truly delighted to witness the growing public attention in Vietnam for the Europe Days program. Offering a wide range of events, we hope that Europe Days 2017 will continue to attract many people across the spectrum of Vietnamese society”.
The Berlin through the eyes of American photographer Jamie Maxtone-Graham exhibition opened the programme at Goethe-Institute Hanoi on May 4. Jamie Maxtone-Graham is an American cinematographer and photographer with over 20 years of experience as a commercial Director of Photography in New York and Hollywood. The exhibition presents his observations of everyday life in Berlin.
From May 6 to 16, the diversity of European cultural traditions will be explored at the European Literature event in Hanoi and for the first time in HCM City. At the events, Vietnamese readers will have the chance to enjoy new books from Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, the UK and Wallonie-Bruxelles (Belgium).
In addition to the presentation of the books, there will be other opportunities for readers to meet authors, listen to talks and readings, or register for workshops on creative writing.
For music lovers, the programme will offer a chance to enjoy the performance of the talented French – Haitian pianist Celimene Daudet on May 11 in Hanoi and the Belgian hip-hop group Les R’tardataires in HCM City on May 12 and Da Nang on May 14.
Under the framework of the programme, the annual European Film Festival promises to delight Vietnamese spectators with 15 inspiring films, presenting a journey through “tolerance” and “respect”. It is an odyssey, reflecting the dreams, passion, fears and frustrations, fun and joys, mistakes and recognitions – of every European. The festival will start in HCM City on May 13, Hue on May 14 and Hanoi on May 15.
For those who have a strong interest in drama, two theatre plays “Blue Bird” and “Roméo & Juliette Cinema Theater”, organised by the Wallonie-Bruxelles Delegation and the French Institute respectively, will be a unique entertaining experience.
In particular involving the younger generations, two education – related conferences “Conference on Smart Sustainable Cities in Vietnam” and “Erasmus+ Regional Seminar for Asia – Academic cooperation and mobility” will further increase and promote stronger cooperation, exchanges, and partnerships in education between European countries and Asian countries, as well as between the Asian countries.
In addition, a special essay writing contest, aimed at helping Vietnam’s younger generations to express their perception and opinions on European cultural diversity, technology and innovation achievements in Europe and European integration, will be launched in May. The contest will award three prizes of three return trips to Rome, Paris and Brussels, including five nights’ accommodation in each city.
Other activities, including a German Film Festival for young people, a British film scoring workshop, a European Business event, trade and Investment related seminars and a seminar on climate change will also be organised during the programme.