The Vietnam - ASEAN Youth Festival 2020 was jointly held on December 27 by the National Committee on Youth of Vietnam (NCYV) and the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (HCYU) Central Committee in Hanoi. The event is aimed at taking stock on the youth cooperation activities in 2020, raising the awareness about ASEAN as well as celebrating Vietnam important achievements as the ASEAN 2020 Chair.

A series of activities take place on December 27, drawing numerous young people in Hanoi. Photo: tienphong.vn

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Nguyen Minh Vu said that the strength and future of ASEAN depends on the ASEAN youth - the future leaders of Southeast Asia.

"In order to inherit the achievements of cooperation and nurture a thriving and prosperous Southeast Asia region, ASEAN young people should work together to build "community thinking and action" with the spirit of solidarity," Mr. Vu said.

A number of cooperation activities among ASEAN youth in 2020 have attracted a wide range of young people such as students, scientists, diplomats, businessmen and politicians. The contents and fields of exchange and cooperation are also diverse and suitable to the practical needs and interests of ASEAN youth in the current situation.

As Covid-19 emerges and caused a strong impact on the socio-economic life of countries in the region and the world, the implementation of the above activities demonstrated strong commitment of Vietnam and other ASEAN countries in promoting the formation of an increasingly cohesive and responsive ASEAN community, Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan, HCYU First Secretary, said.

According to Mr. Tuan, some ASEAN youth cooperation activities implemented in 2020 were organized for the first time under the initiative of the NCYV and HCYU, including the 2020 ASEAN Youth Leaders Conference, under the theme "Strengthening Youth Cooperation for a Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN Community" or the Young ASEAN Exchange Program have created opportunities to connect young ASEAN diplomats in Vietnam, and promotes ASEAN youth cooperation in the coming period.

The Vietnam - ASEAN Youth Festival 2020 included a camp with the theme “A Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN”; folk games of ASEAN countries; a conference on key results of ASEAN in 2020 under the Chair of Vietnam, among others.

Besides, the Vietnam - ASEAN Youth Music Festival with the theme “ASEAN Sun” took place on the same day.