The signing ceremony of EMW's Representative Office status for its Hanoi office

Hanoi, June 13, 20o8: Today, EMW received a license to establish a Representative Office in Hanoi. The permit was granted in a formal ceremony in the meeting room of the People’s Aid Coordinating Committee (PACCOM), which is overseen by the Vietnamese Union for Friendship Organizations (VUFO). Present at the event were Mr. Nguyen Van Kien, General Secretary of VUFO and Director General of PACCOM, EMW Country Director Mark Conroy, and representatives from PACCOM and EMW staff in Hanoi.

EMW opened its first office in Hanoi as a liaison office. The office was set up in the capital city to support the organization’s expansion of programs in Vietnam’s northern provinces and to nurture relationships with key allies and government agencies. That liaison office has now become the official Representative Office of East Meets West in Vietnam.

The Representative Office license is the highest acknowledgement of EMW’s position in Vietnam by Vietnam's government. With this license, EMW is in a new position to improve lives in Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries. It is fitting that this was created during EMW’s 20th Anniversary year.

“The permit allows EMW to better serve the Vietnamese people and better represent EMW to the local authorities and donor community in Vietnam and in the region. We promise to effectively serve the Vietnamese people in the years to come,” remarked EMW Country Director Mark Conroy.

On behalf of PACCOM and to acknowledge the importance of the occasion, Mr. Nguyen Van Kien remarked: “We leaders of VUFO and PACCOM highly appreciate your contribution to the Vietnamese community. We hope that in this new period, your organization will have more opportunities in Vietnam to commit to more contributions for the poorest areas in Vietnam.”

To find out more, contact the Communications Department at info@eastmeetswest.org.

Photos by Patrick Alleyn