The first ASEAN Youth Forum will open in Ho Chi Minh City on Thursday, the local chapter of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union announced at a press conference on Tuesday.

The event will see the participation of 36 representatives who are outstanding youths aged from 18 to 30 from seven countries, including Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

It aims to create chances for young people to enhance the mutual understanding of the history, culture, and social situations of regional countries, as well as to raise awareness and join hands in building an ASEAN community in unity and solidarity.

The forum is also an opportunity to discuss and exchange solutions for improving the youth’s role in preserving traditional culture in the process of ASEAN integration.

Participants will attend discussions on three topics, including raising awareness of ASEAN cultural values, preserving and improving ASEAN cultural heritage, and spurring ASEAN creativity and culture.

Moreover, a series of activities including a visit to the Municipal Museum of History, water puppet shows, and a ceremony to offer flowers at the Ho Chi Minh statue on the Nguyen Hue pedestrian street in District 1 will also be held within the framework of the forum.

The 2015 ASEAN Youth Forum will end on Saturday.

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