Artists, scholars and representatives from the government and NGOs from Asia and Europe convened in Ha Long City, Vietnam, last week to find ways to forge stronger ties through cultural diplomacy.

A group of 18 students from the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Qatar, representing 12 nationalities will undertake a 12-day tour of Vietnam starting tomorrow... The university official said there were misconceptions about the Middle East in some parts of the world and he hoped the tour would help clear some of them.

Artists, scholars and representatives from the government and NGOs from Asia and Europe convened in Ha Long City, Vietnam, last week to find ways to forge stronger ties through cultural diplomacy.

Participants in a conference held by the Central Commission for External Relations in Hanoi on April 19 emphasized the importance of people-to-people diplomacy in relation to State diplomacy and Party external relations.

Ascending Dragon, the biggest cultural exchange between Viet Nam and the US, has created a buzz among the Asian country's music scene.