Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam — When the golden Peace and Friendship Among Nations medal rested gently on Agustaviano Sofjan’s lapel, applause filled Friendship Tower—and so did a sense of history in the making.
The Indonesian diplomat, who has bridged communities since 2021, stood humbled as HUFO Chair Dr Do Viet Ha delivered heartfelt praise for his kindness, tenacity and vision of a Southeast Asia united by understanding rather than rivalry.
Witnesses recall how Sofjan, never seeking the spotlight, quietly championed student exchanges, creative-economy workshops and language scholarships that now ripple through both nations’ younger generations.
His acceptance speech echoed that humble spirit. “This medal belongs to every Indonesian and Vietnamese citizen who chooses cooperation over distance,” he told the crowd, reminding them that friendship is built cup by cup, dance by dance, handshake by handshake.
Moments later, the hall transformed into a living tapestry of ASEAN culture. Vietnamese undergraduates swirled in vibrant batik, performing the West Sumatran Indang, while guests savored Solo’s earthy tubruk tea alongside Laos’s crimson brew and Vietnam’s delicate white leaves.
Behind each sip lay a promise: that taste can teach empathy, that art can outshine politics, and that awards are most powerful when they inspire the next act of collaboration.
As Sofjan posed for photographs with VAFA and HUFO leaders, he voiced one wish—that the medal become a spark for countless new partnerships, proving that honor, when shared, multiplies hope.
In Ho Chi Minh City’s warm April dusk, the promise of Indonesia Vietnam friendship felt not only celebrated but renewed, ready to guide both nations toward an even brighter chapter.
