The time has come for me to say goodbye. This April, my diplomatic mission will reach its end, and soon I will be the former Ambassador of Viet Nam to Kuwait.
During three years of my diplomatic mission, I tried to give my best to Kuwait and to the historical and friendly relationship between the two countries. In many ways, my work has achieved a lot, with the help from the Kuwaiti land and people.
So allow me to take this opportunity to write a ‘thank-you note’ to Kuwait, for giving me the best of my time — first time as an ambassador to a pivotal country in the Gulf region.
First and foremost, I would like to thank the very first people that helped me get used to the beat of life in Kuwait — His Highness the Amir and the Government of Kuwait, who accepted my credentials and welcomed me with great care in the hard days of the pandemic of COVID-19; my fellow ambassadors in the diplomatic corp, from the brothers and sisters in the ASEAN group to many other excellencies, who helped me understand the ways of diplomacy in this country.
It is from them that I learned about the essence of the Kuwaiti political system, the basics in Kuwaiti and Arab culture, and more on facilitating my tenure. I treasure all the conversations I had during events and meetings, and in the month of Ramadan, it was through the diwaniyas that I learned a lot more to improve my work everyday.
So much is still needed to learn and improve, but after three years, as the Ambassador of Viet Nam in Kuwait, I am proud that the image of Viet Nam has been received with more warmth and appreciation from the Kuwaiti people.
By working hard and keeping active, the Embassy of Viet Nam in Kuwait has helped promote the best of Viet Nam in trade, tourism and culture — three of many aspects that help strengthen the friendly cooperation between Viet Nam and Kuwait.
We have met with countless Kuwaiti officials, businessmen, influencers, and especially the local press to discuss ways of cooperating and showcasing our country to the local people, and I thank all of them for the great support. From these meetings, achievements have been made — Vietnamese coffee is now present at two Coffilia shops in Kuwait, along with various products in fruit, fishery, textiles, etc. that appear in hypermarkets and malls; Viet Nam is more familiar to the local people, especially now online visa is applied.
From the other side, now there are more opportunities for people-to-people exchange between Viet Nam and Kuwait. Thanks to the government scholarship program, Vietnamese students now have the chance to learn Arabic in Kuwait University. Our people also participate in oil refinery projects, work in the airport as stewardesses, and I believe there will be more and more chances for Vietnamese people to help develop Kuwait. I have always told you that they are also the ‘ambassadors’ representing the beloved country of Viet Nam, and thus I thank my Vietnamese community for helping me achieve my successful mission.
My friends, during the days of my diplomatic term, Kuwait has always been on my mind. To me, this is a wonderful country that deserves great things in the coming future; and I believe my thoughts are the same with many other fellow ambassadors.
When I go back to Viet Nam, I will take with me all the good memories that make this diplomatic mission a wonderful experience. I will tell the Vietnamese people that Kuwait always is and will be our true friend, supporting us for the greater good, and we have a chance to connect with them through many ways.
While I may no longer be the Ambassador of Viet Nam to Kuwait, I am still a diplomat, devoting my life to building connections around the world. I believe that we will meet again on a beautiful day somewhere on Earth — maybe in my home country, and keep on the conversations about life and work. The door to the Viet Nam – Kuwait relationship is open for us both, and all we have to do is to take action when the time comes.
Once again, I give my thanks to this country and to all of you. May the best come to all of us.
