(VOVworld) - International Friendship Day 2015 opened on Saturday at Crescent Lake in Phu My Hung, District 7, Ho Chi Minh City to connect generations of Vietnamese alumni who studied abroad. International Friendship Day, themed “Vietnam Go Global” this year, hopes to gather ideas and experience of the alumni for the city’s integration process. It also creates a venue for cultural exchanges to strengthen friendship between participants. Le Hung Quoc, President of Ho Chi Minh City’s Union of Friendship Organizations, said: "International Friendship Day 2015 adds more colors to Ho Chi Minh City’s cultural activities during the last months of the year. With this event, we hope that the local people would contribute further to the city’s efforts in promoting people-to-people diplomacy to help Vietnam better integrate into the world."

A series of workshop will be held as part of the event where attendees discuss what international alumni could do to contribute to the national integration, which abilities enterprises require from the alumni, and how to start a business. An exhibition will also take place to display traditional costumes and folk games that represent the cultures of Vietnam and other countries, alongside a music festival featuring a mixture of Vietnam’s folk music, pop and symphony performed by both local and foreign artists. A highlight of the event is the “Asian-European music exchange” scheduled for late Saturday.