Book by Venezuelan author presented to VNA's youth initiative

At the book handover ceremony. (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam-Venezuela Friendship Association on March 14 presented copies of the Vietnamese version of a book entitled “Xin chao” (Hello), written by Angel Miguel Bastidas Gonzalez, former second Secretary at the Venezuelan Embassy to Vietnam, to the Dinh Huu Du Bookcase Initiative set up by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union chapter at the Vietnam News Agency (VNA).

Addressing the book handover ceremony, Le Duy Truyen, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam-Venezuela Friendship Association and former Deputy General Director of VNA, said Angel Miguel Bastidas Gonzalez is a diplomat and also a journalist, who was one of the founders of the Venezuela-Vietnam Friendship and Solidarity House. He is the author of the "Xin chao" column on the Correo del Orinoco newspaper of Venezuelan, which was set up in June 2011 with articles about the country, people, historical figures, major events of Vietnam, as well as the friendship relationship between Venezuela and Vietnam.

The book "Xin chao" was published in 2017, which is a collection of his articles. With this book, the diplomat won the second prize of the National External Information Service Awards 2017 in Vietnam.

The book is a source of information about the country, people, history and friendship between Vietnam and Venezuela for Venezuelan and foreign readers, Truyen said, adding that it is a significant contribution to the friendship and solidarity between the two nations.

Dinh Huu Du, born 1988, was a reporter of VNA who died while reporting on widespread floods in the northern mountainous province of Yen Bai in 2017. The VNA's Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union chapter later launched an initiative on establishing bookcases named after him for children in disadvantaged areas.

After more than five years of implementation, the programme has awarded more than 20 bookcases with tens of thousands of books along with learning equipment to schools in remote areas./.