Agarwood Land promotes trade with the land of the Silk Road
The delegation of the Land of Agarwood Khanh Hoa has come to the land of the ancient silk road to open a new "silk road" in trade and surprisingly, this place is preparing to place a road named after President Ho Chi Minh.
Opening a new "silk road"
On the days before the Lunar New Year of Giap Thin, the working delegation of the Land of Agarwood led by Mr. Nguyen Hai Ninh - Member of the Party Central Committee - Secretary of Khanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee visited and worked in Kazakhstan - a country located on the legendary silk road.
The greatest silk road in human history connecting China with the mysterious West Asia and all the way to Europe, is not only a trade artery, but also a journey of cultural and religious exchange between countries. The silk road has existed for 17 centuries when mankind had not yet developed maritime routes - and has been recognized by Unesco as a World Heritage.
Kazakhstan – where the ancient Silk Road passed through, welcomed the delegation of Khanh Hoa province in the bone-chilling cold of -22 degrees Celsius. The delegation arrived at the poetic ancient capital of Almaty, located at an altitude of 900m above sea level, surrounded by the snow-capped Thien Son mountain, to begin the journey to promote trade cooperation.
Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Hai Ninh, businessman Nguyen Van Tuong and delegates take souvenir photos at the Tourism Promotion Conference in Almaty.
The conference to promote tourism and trade in Khanh Hoa province was held in this ancient capital with the participation of Ms. Pham Thai Nhu Mai - Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Vietnam to Kazakhstan; Ms. Galiya Tokseitova - Director of the Department of Tourism of Almaty City and representatives of more than 120 enterprises in Kazakhstan. The conference aimed to promote the image of Khanh Hoa province to Kazakhstan enterprises, focusing on introducing the potential for tourism and trade development and key projects calling for investment in the province. Businessman Nguyen Van Tuong - Chairman of Khanh Hoa Agarwood Company - who participated in the delegation, shared:
“Although the last days of the year were busy with work, the delegation of Khanh Hoa province still tried to arrange to come to the neighboring country in the freezing cold, demonstrating their determination to promote trade. I assess that Kazakhstan has a lot of potential to cooperate with us, because of its important geopolitical position, a bridge between the Asian and European continents, with huge oil and gas reserves, a large area, more than 2.7 million km2, larger than Western Europe. Vietnam can absolutely cooperate with the neighboring country in oil and gas exploitation, high-tech agricultural development, and seafood export. Khanh Hoa province is located in a tropical country, with bays, beaches and islands that are among the most beautiful in the world, along with the noble fragrance of Agarwood, expressing the gentle and benevolent spirit of the Vietnamese people, the delicious taste of famous bird's nest products. All of these things create the attraction guide to tourists from Kazakhstan - a country located deep in the continent with a hot and dry climate in the summer and cold in the winter".
In addition to its potential for oil and gas and agriculture, Kazakhstan is very attractive to Vietnamese tourists with its vast tulip fields, apple orchards stretching across the steppe, beautiful lakes, and unique nomadic culture. This place also possesses the last remaining nomadic culture in the world with herds of beautiful, resilient horses galloping across the vast steppe and eagles trained to hunt, which appeared in the novel "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" by writer Kim Dung.
The Kazakh people are considered a fraternal nation, with 134 ethnic groups, the most populous of which are the Kazakhs, Russians, Uzbeks, Uyghurs, Ukrainians, Germans, Turks, Koreans, Azerbaijanis... Ethnic diversity is a valuable asset, a special pride of the Kazakhs, when they overcame ethnic conflicts of interest during the difficult times since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
According to businessman Nguyen Van Tuong - Kazakhstan - can become the destination of a new "silk road" from Vietnam - a place that exports many spices such as cinnamon, star anise, especially Agarwood - which is very attractive to the residents of cold Central Asia with 65% following Islam. From ancient times to the present, Muslims cannot lack Agarwood in large and small ceremonies.
Khanh Hoa province's promotion of trade and tourism in Kazakhstan not only evokes heroic memories of the ancient Silk Road but also opens up the potential for a modern "silk road" by both sea and air.
There will be a road named after President Ho Chi Minh in Kazakhstan
Mr. Nguyen Hai Ninh - Secretary of Khanh Hoa Provincial Party Committee emphasized the possibility of cooperation in transporting goods and trade by air (cargo) based on Khanh Hoa's strengths in international airports and strengths in exporting seafood and agricultural products; cooperation in cultural exchange, student exchange, etc.
Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Hai Ninh presented an Agarwood fan made by Khanh Hoa Agarwood Company to the leaders of Almaty City.
The Agarwood fan is exquisitely crafted by ATC, a gift for the heads of state of countries attending Apec Vietnam 2017.
Mr. Nguyen Hai Ninh said that Khanh Hoa is offering many incentives for foreign investment and calling on Kazakhstani enterprises to invest in Van Phong Economic Zone, especially in the field of oil refining and duty-free.
Mr. Nguyen Hai Ninh introduced Agarwood - a product that has created a unique attraction for Khanh Hoa province and presented a fan made of Agarwood to the chairman of Malislhat of Almaty city. The fan was delicately crafted by Khanh Hoa Agarwood Company and was chosen as a gift for the heads of state attending the APEC 2017 Conference in Vietnam.
The ancient Silk Road, which was measured in miles on camel legs over the years, has now been shortened to only 10 hours of flight when Khanh Hoa and Kazakhstan have direct flights, creating great opportunities for cooperation, especially in trade and tourism.
Businessman Nguyen Van Tuong experiences the nomadic culture of Kazakhstan.
At the conference, businesses from both sides discussed the potential to promote tourism, especially resort and medical tourism, and to increase import and export of goods.
It was a promising start for Ms. Galiya Tokseitova, Director of the Almaty Tourism Department, to express her belief that Vietnam, with its beautiful landscape, traditional history and hospitality, and strong economic development, will bring special impressions to Kazakhstani tourists and businessmen and create conditions to strongly promote bilateral relations in the coming time.
Ambassador Pham Thai Nhu Mai said that after the visit to Vietnam by President Tokayev of Kazakhstan in August 2023, the authorities and businesses of the two countries will promote connections and exploit each other's potential and strengths. In 2023, the import and export turnover between Kazakhstan and Vietnam exceeded 1 billion USD for the first time.
Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Hai Ninh and the delegation visited the Museum and Memorial House of former General Secretary of the Communist Party of Kazakhstan D.Konayev in Almaty City. The museum displays the life and career of Mr. Konayev, inaugurated in 2002, on the occasion of his 90th birthday. The main building has 3 floors containing more than 3,000 specimens, books, newspapers, images, and documentaries about the life of the revolutionary. The memorial house also displays images of President Ho Chi Minh during his visit to Almaty in 1959. President Ho Chi Minh's visit that year left many impressions and good feelings with the government and people of Kazakhstan. That feeling is still preserved and continued until today, in which the Vietnamese Embassy in Kazakhstan and Ambassador Pham Thai Nhu Mai have made many efforts to foster and develop the traditional friendship between the two countries. Amidst the biting cold of the steppe, the delegation felt as if spring had come, and indescribable emotions flooded in when they heard that the Almaty city government was coordinating with Kazakhstani authorities to promote the naming of a street after President Ho Chi Minh in Almaty on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's first visit to Kazakhstan (1959-2024).