International friends in attendance included ambassadors, chargés d’affaires, embassy officials, representatives of international organisations and non-governmental organisations, and international students currently working and studying in Ha Noi.
In his opening remarks, Nguyen Ngoc Ky, Chairman of the Ha Noi Union of Friendship Organisations, emphasised that 2025 marked many major historical milestones for Viet Nam, such as the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification, the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day, and the 30th anniversary of Viet Nam’s accession to ASEAN.
The year 2025 was also a successful year for Viet Nam and the capital Ha Noi in terms of external relations and international integration, amid intertwined challenges and opportunities. Exchange and friendship activities were organised, opening many avenues of cooperation in the fields of economics, culture, and society, attracting attention from the domestic and international public, and contributing to enhancing the position of Ha Noi and Viet Nam on the international stage.
Highlighting the significance of the international art exchange programme “Welcome the New Year 2026,” Nguyen Ngoc Ky stated that the programme was organised to mark the occasion of welcoming New Year 2026 and celebrate the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Viet Nam.
“The programme is a cultural and artistic event, a gift for Vietnamese delegates and international friends on the occasion of the New Year. It contributes to strengthening solidarity and friendship between the people of Viet Nam and the peoples of other countries, especially between the people of Ha Noi and the peoples of capitals and cities around the world. At the same time, it is also an opportunity to promote the image of Ha Noi — a City for Peace, a city that is ‘Cultured–Civilised–Modern–Happy’ — to international friends,” the Chairman of the Ha Noi Union of Friendship Organisations stressed.
On the occasion, Nguyen Ngoc Ky expressed his thanks to international delegates for their support and assistance, and for standing alongside Viet Nam on its path of integration and development, contributing to enhancing the position of Viet Nam and Ha Noi on the international stage. He also extended his best wishes for a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year to all delegates attending the programme.
On behalf of international friends, Ambassador Saadi Salama, Head of the Diplomatic Corps in Viet Nam, affirmed that they always value and highly appreciate the coordinating and connecting role of the Ha Noi Union of Friendship Organisations.
Ambassador Saadi Salama committed that, together with the Diplomatic Corps, he would continue to actively accompany and participate in the capital’s people-to-people external affairs activities, thereby strengthening dialogue, building trust, and promoting mutual understanding among countries, cultures, and peoples.
The art programme was elaborately and impressively staged, featuring performances by Vietnamese and international artists and performers, reflecting both tradition and cultural exchange. It also showcased a rich and colourful array of performances by non-professional foreign artists from embassies, who performed traditional cultural arts of their respective nations and countries in costumes and make-up appropriate to the content.
