On 25 November 1971, Norway set up diplomatic relations with Vietnam. Now, 40 years later, the Embassy celebrates the many years of cooperation and development by organizing several events all over Vietnam. Throughout November, Vietnamese and Norwegian friends and partners will have numerous occasions to celebrate the decades-long friendship between the two countries.
Events across the country
The informal cultural evening with a focus on Norwegian story-telling in movies on 15 November will be followed by official celebrations at the end of the month, in Hanoi, Hue and Ho Chi Minh City.
On 25 November there will be an all-day symposium in Hanoi on academic and business cooperation between the two countries, followed by a reception and concert in the Hanoi Opera House, with Vietnamese and Norwegian classical music artists and compositions. The following day there will be a celebratory event in Hue, focusing on non-governmental partnerships of Vietnamese and Norwegian organizations, while the celebratory weekend ends with a friendship concert in the opera house in Ho Chi Minh City.
- Culture is not just the icing on the cake
Culture is a key element of the Vietnamese-Norwegian relationship. The Norwegian Foreign Minister, Mr. Jonas Gahr Støre, also highlighted the cultural cooperation when he spoke about the Vietnamese-Norwegian relationship earlier this autumn.
- It is particularly gratifying to see the growing cultural cooperation between our countries. Culture is often the foundation of bilateral relations between countries – and not just the icing on the cake!, Mr. Støre said when he attended 40-year jubilee celebrations organized by the Vietnamese Embassy in Oslo.
Transposition – cultural exchange through music
The Norwegian Foreign Minister also highlighted the cultural cooperation program “Transposition” when he talked about the bilateral ties between Vietnam and Norway. Musicians involved in this project will perform at the classical concerts in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
“Transposition” is a multiyear project funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where 12 music organizations in Norway and Vietnam cooperate with the goal of strengthening cultural ties and enhance expertise in the field of classical music. The name “Transposition” means “placing something in a new context, or reshaping it in a new language, style or medium” and that is according to the Director of the cooperation project, Mr. Geir Johnson, key in the cooperation:
- By transferring competence from Norwegian music to the active entity of Vietnamese music, and by inviting their musicians and ensembles to interact with us, this is exactly what transpires; a transposition of knowledge.
On 26 November there will be a public concert in the Hanoi Opera House, with the Norwegian and Vietnamese classical musicians. For tickets, click here.