Cultural ties are moving toward concrete projects. Kazakhstan and Vietnam discussed joint film projects, shooting movies in both countries, and developing tourism routes that could connect historic cities, traditional crafts, gastronomy and contemporary cultural spaces, DKNews.kz reports.
The talks took place as part of the Days of Culture of Kazakhstan in Vietnam. Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan Aida Balayeva met with Deputy Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Pham Thi Thanh Tra. The meeting was also reported by the official portal of the Government of Vietnam.
Aida Balayeva proposed joint film projects
One of the most concrete proposals discussed at the meeting concerned the film industry.
Aida Balayeva proposed holding reciprocal film weeks, expanding the participation of Kazakh and Vietnamese filmmakers in festivals, and organizing film shoots in both countries.
The sides also discussed the possibility of implementing joint film projects. Such cooperation could take cultural ties beyond individual events and lead to the creation of content for audiences in both countries.
Tourism routes could offer deeper cultural immersion
The sides paid particular attention to creative tourism.
Under this format, travelers would do more than simply visit tourist attractions. They could explore traditional crafts, local customs and national cuisine, as well as take part in workshops and creative programs.
Kazakhstan and Vietnam discussed the possibility of combining these experiences into comprehensive tourism routes.
Such routes could include cultural heritage sites, historic cities, museums, craft centers, festivals and contemporary cultural spaces.
There is already a foundation for developing tourism ties between the two countries. The key areas of bilateral cooperation are outlined in the official overview of Kazakhstan–Vietnam relations published by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Strategic partnership expands into culture and tourism
The current cultural dialogue between Kazakhstan and Vietnam comes as bilateral relations enter a new stage.
Kazakhstan and Vietnam signed a joint statement establishing a strategic partnership on May 6, 2025.
According to Aida Balayeva, this format creates opportunities to deepen not only political and economic ties, but also cultural and humanitarian cooperation.
“Today, relations between our countries have entered a new stage. Last year, ties between Kazakhstan and Vietnam were elevated to the level of a strategic partnership. This creates significant opportunities to further deepen not only political and economic cooperation, but also cultural and humanitarian interaction. We are following the development of Vietnam’s cultural and creative industries with great interest. In this regard, we see strong potential for cooperation in a wide range of areas, from cinematography, performing arts and cultural tourism to heritage preservation, traditional crafts and contemporary design. I am confident that the exchange of experience in these fields will give fresh momentum to our bilateral relations,” Aida Balayeva said.
From festivals to joint projects
The proposals discussed at the meeting are aimed at turning cultural exchanges into practical projects.
If implemented, the initiatives could involve filmmakers, festival organizers, tourism companies, museums, craft centers and regional cultural institutions.
Following the meeting, Kazakhstan and Vietnam expressed interest in further strengthening cooperation and promoting joint initiatives.
No specific timelines have yet been announced for launching joint film projects or new tourism routes.
Earlier, we wrote about new areas of strategic partnership between Kazakhstan and Vietnam.
