Hanoi (VNA/VNS) - Uruguay and Vietnam will boost cooperation andexchanges in culture, sport, tourism and education following agreements signedbetween Uruguayan and Vietnamese ministers.

Uruguay’s Minister of Education and Culture Maria Julia Munoz had an officialvisit to Vietnam from April 20 to 25. She hosted a press conference on April 24to announce the success of the trip.

She signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Minister of Culture, Sportand Tourism Nguyen Ngoc Thien to enhance cultural exchange and performances byart troupes in two countries.

Vietnam and Uruguay will develop the coordination between conservation centresand other cultural agencies.

The Embassy of Uruguay will host an exhibition of ceramic art by Uruguayartists in Hanoi in June.

Minister Thien said the culture and society of Uruguay are reflected in theLatin American Film Festival, held annually in Vietnam. He said he expected thedistance between the two countries to be narrowed through cultural exchange.

Thien also said he looked forward to Uruguay’s support of in football becauseit is one of the country’s strong points.

Minister Munoz said she is aware that Vietnamese people love football. Shepromised to send two footballers from Uruguay to Vietnam to provide technicaltraining to the Vietnamese football team.

“We have respected Vietnam from the resistance war to the process ofestablishing and developing the country, and now we admire the position of Vietnamin the region and the world,” she said.

“Last year I had a chance to visit Vietnam as a tourist and I felt impressed bythe Vietnamese landscape and culture. Your tourism industry has hugepotential.”

She also said she expected the two countries to enhance cooperation in tourism.

In the near future, Vietnamese students who study the Spanish language willhave a chance to secure scholarships to study in Uruguay thanks to the MoUsigned between Minister Munoz and Minister of Education and Training Phung XuanNha.

“We will support Vietnamese teachers and educators to have a training course inUruguay,” Munoz said. “We are willing to provide text books and native-speakingteachers to Vietnam to support Spanish language training.” - VNS/VNA