Islamabad:
In a significant movement to strengthen bilateral relations, Vietnam has proposed a collaboration initiative with Pakistan to boost cultural tourism and based on faith, given its shared Buddhist heritage.
The proposal was presented today by the ambassador of the Vietnam Embassy, Pham Anh Tuan, during a meeting with the Minister of National Heritage and Culture of Pakistan, Aurengzeb Khan Khichi.
The ambassador highlighted the civilization of Millennia of Vietnam and the rich Buddhist history, underlining his commitment to preserve tangible and intangible cultural heritage. “A one -mile trip begins with a single step,” he said, emphasizing that today’s meeting marks a crucial step in friendship and cooperation between the two nations.
The Vietnamese official proposed several key collaboration areas, including the promotion of Buddhist pilgrimage, cultural festivals and joint heritage projects. A given concrete step was the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Taxila Museum in Pakistan and the main Vietnamese museums, such as the Museum of National History of Vietnam and the Vietnamese History Museum in the city of Ho Chi Minh.
The Mou aims to facilitate the itinerant exhibitions that show the rich Buddhist art and the heritage of both countries. An example cited was a special exhibition entitled “Buddhist art along the Silk Route”, with Taxila masterpieces along with Vietnamese artifacts, offering a “window to the past” and a deeper appreciation of their interconnected stories.
The proposed association extends beyond the exhibitions to include facilitating regular exchanges of curators, conservatives and archaeologists to share experience in heritage management and preservation techniques.
Development of joint programs for students, researchers and the public on Buddhist iconography, archaeological techniques and heritage conservation.
