Seoul (VNA) – Chairwoman of the NationalAssembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, on behalf of leaders of the State of Vietnam, presentedthe Friendship Order to Professor Ahn Kyong-hwan, Chairman of the Associationof Vietnamese Studies in the Republic of Korea (RoK), at a ceremony in Seoul onDecember 6.

The conferment is made in recognition of theprofessor’s contributions to the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam andthe RoK.

Addressing the hand-over ceremony, Ngan said bilateralties between the two countries have enjoy development across areas, rangingfrom politics to economy, trade, investment, education, training and culture, whichis partly attributable to the great contributions of scholars andintellectuals, with Professor Ahn as an example.  

Ahn’s translations of Vietnamese books, including“Truyen Kieu” (The Tale of Kieu) by great poet Nguyen Du, “Nhat ky trong tu”(Diary in Prison) by President Ho Chi Minh, “Nhung ngay thang khong the naoquen” (Unforgettable Days) by General Vo Nguyen Giap, and “Nhat ky Dang ThuyTram” (The Dairy of Dang Thuy Tram), have helped Korean readers understand moreabout President Ho Chi Minh, contributions of Vietnamese martyrs to the paststruggle for national liberation as well as Vietnam’s culture and literature,she said.

The NA Chairwoman also highlighted the professor’srole in organising workshops and exhibitions on Vietnamese culture and the EastSea, and in the operation of the Association of Vietnamese Studies.

For his part, Professor Ahn, who is also VicePresident of the RoK-Vietnam cultural exchange association in Gwangju city andan advisor of the RoK-Vietnam Cultural Exchange Association in Seoul, saidtranslating “Nhat ky trong tu” helps him understand more about the Vietnamese President’spatriotism and his love for people.

He promised to make greater efforts to contribute toboosting the friendship and cooperation between Vietnam and the RoK, and notedhis belief that the bilateral economic, cultural and educational bonds willdevelop fruitfully in the time ahead.

On this occasion, NA Chairwoman Ngan thanked theRoK-Vietnam Economic, Cultural Association and its President Kwak Young-gil fortheir support to the Vietnamese Embassy and Vietnamese community in the country.

She called on the association to continue with itsassistance programmes for Vietnamese Agent Orange (AO)/dioxin victims andsupport the operation of the Association of Vietnamese Studies.

Apart from the State, parliamentary, and Partydiplomacy, people-to-people exchanges have been seen as an important channel todevelop the bilateral relations, the leader said, stressing that the VietnameseParty and State have paid due attention to this work.

The NA Chairwoman ismaking an official visit to the RoK from December 4-7 at the invitation ofSpeaker of the National Assembly of the RoK Moon Hee-sang.-VNA