Romanian Ambassador to Vietnam Cristina Romila. (Photo: PH)

Maybe it is your second Tet in Vietnam. Are you excited for this event? Is there anything you would like to explore in this special occasion?

It is indeed my second Tet celebration in Vietnam and I am looking forward to it. For me it is more than a celebration, it is a wonderful cultural experience. I feel privileged that I have the opportunity to enjoy the way the Vietnamese families welcome the New Lunar Year. For sure, it enriches my knowledge about the Vietnamese people and their strong national identity.

I am planning to experience the Tet traditions at the Tran Quoc Pagoda and to enjoy a morning walk by Westlake.

What impressed you most about Tet holiday in Vietnam?

I was positively impressed by the rich cultural traditions of this emblematic holiday. My first first Tet celebration in Vietnam was a wonderful opportunity to become familiar with some of the most important festive practices in Vietnam, such as wrapping Chung cakes or making to the figurines. I remember with enthusiasm the visit I paid to the village of Duong Lam, where I had the chance to experience some of these beautiful and joyful traditions.

Tet is around the corner. Is there anything you would like to say to the Vietnamese people?

An khang thịnh vượng! I seize this joyful opportunity to convey my best wishes to you and your families.

Could you share some impressions on developments of Vietnam –Romania bilateral relations recent times?

Romania and Vietnam enjoy an excellent dynamics of political-diplomatic exchanges, marked during recent years by frequent high-level contacts. The visit of the Prime Minister of Romania to Hanoi in 2016, the official visit to Bucharest of the Prime Minister of Vietnam, H.E. Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc in April 2019, and the phone talks between the President of Romania, H.E. Mr. Klaus Iohannis and his Vietnamese counterpart, H.E. Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc in July 2021, settled the priorities of the bilateral relationship in a pragmatic way with a view to taking further the traditional friendship between Romania and Vietnam.

The year 2022 registered also a positive dynamics of the bilateral agenda, just to mention the visits to Vietnam of a delegation of the Parliament of Romania, of a multisector economic mission composed of representatives of 14 Romanian companies, and also positive developments in the fields of education and culture, such as the visit to Vietnam of the representatives of 23 Romanian universities and the concert performed at Hanoi Opera House by the entire Bucharest Symphony Orchestra.

What are your expectations about Vietnam's contributions to the international community in the coming time?

In the coming time, I strongly believe that the foreign affairs sector will actively contribute to the successful realization of Vietnam`s strategic development goals. In this respect, I welcome Vietnam’s strong will to further promote the strengthening of the bilateral cooperation with its traditional partners in order to achieve its full potential, as well as its role as an active and responsible member of the international community.

As unconditional supporters of multilateralism and of the rules-based international order, Romania and Vietnam are restlessly acting towards supporting these two goals. Romania will continue to support Vietnam's multilateral diplomacy efforts which are promoting the strong role of the UN in preventing and solving conflicts in the region, for the stability and prosperity of the region and the world.