Mr. Nguyen Van Tuong - Chairman of Tram Huong Khanh Hoa ATC speaks at "Club of Madrid"

In response to the invitation of the Club of Madrid’s Board of Director, Chairman of ATC Nguyen Van Tuong has visited Madrid (Spain) in his business trip this October (from Oct 20 to Oct 22).

The Club de Madrid is an independent non-profit organization created to promote democracy and change in the international community. Composed of 102 regular members, who are former presidents and former prime ministers from 65 countries, the Club de Madrid is the world''s largest forum of former heads of state and government. The Club de Madrid also builds a strong network together with hundreds of scholars and representatives from the business world.

Mr. Nguyễn Văn Tưởng, the Chairman of ATC, has brought to the forum of The Club de Madrid this year the pride of Tram Huong Khanh Hoa ATC, proudly introducing Viet Nam to the world as the Country of Agarwood. Agarwood is appreciated in the forum as the symbol of intelligence and love which has the power to connect cultures, mediating hatred, and building world peace.

Please kindly find below the speech that Mr. Nguyen Van Tuong delivered at the forum of the Clud de Madrid to feel how ATC has touched the heart of the world, won the world top talents, and brought the glory to Viet Nam.

Proud of Tram Huong Khanh Hoa! Proud of Viet Nam!

Madrid, October 21, 2019

World Leadership Alliance-Club of Madrid

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good evening! Greetings from Viet Nam.

I warmly congratulate President Vaira Vike-Freiberga as this year’s recipient of our World Leader for Peace and Security Award.  She has been a visionary and steadfast leader in promoting peace and security in the Baltic region and Europe. And as president of Club de Madrid, she has widened that leadership on behalf of world peace and security.

Club of Madrid is known as the largest forum of democratic former leaders of the world. Your efforts to make this world a better place have been the inspiration for me and many people all around the world, encouraging us to spread our values to the community.

I am the Chairman of Khanh Hoa Agarwood Company (ATC) and I am here today to bring Khanh Hoa Agarwood of Viet Nam to the world. It is my honour to present here today and this is an opportunity for us to gain better understandings about each other.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Why Agarwood is brought in the forum today?

Agarwood is made from a very unique way - derived from a wounded trunk and tempered under a special combination of natural conditions. The scent of Agarwood is the scent of nature, crystalizing the best natural elements over thousands years. When being burnt, smoke from Agardwood will spread up high into the air and give a pure aroma; it has ability to open up people’s senses and minds. It is no wonder why the author Gerard A. Persoon from the Leiden University (Netherland) has called Agarwood as “the Wood of the Gods”. In the light of Gods, there is always a pure scent from Agarwood. It is also known as a premium aeriform nutrient, a ancient type of medicine, and an irreplaceable component for high-class perfume.  

Over the past thousands of years, Agarwood has become the bridge connecting people with the spiritual world. The scent of Agarwood holds a crucial role in the holy spaces of many religions including Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. They all consider Agarwood as the common language to connect people with the Gods. And today, Agarwood is brought here to connect us, to connect Viet Nam with the world.

Bringing the message of Agarwood to this forum, I would like to express our people’s appreciation to all of you who have been constantly contribute to the development of the world.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Talking about Agarwood, it would be a great missing out if we do not mention about Agarwood of Khanh Hoa province.

Khanh Hoa province of Viet Nam is gifted with an exceptional climate, interfered between cold and warm ocean currents. This is the birthplace of the best Agarwood in the world, and used to be searched and traded by many merchants on the Silk Road from the East to the West at the Ancient Era.

Khanh Hoa, where forests, mountains, and the sea collide, is the ideal place for both Gods and human-beings. Alexandre Yersin, the famous Swiss adventurer and doctor, was totally convinced by the beauty of Khanh Hoa. Leaving behind all the adventures and glories, Yersin determined on spending the rest of his lifetime in Khanh Hoa where he kept working and devoting for the human race.  

Agarwood is an embodiment of the Goddess Ponagar, the Holy Mother of the magnificent mountains and sea of Khanh Hoa. She is the Guardian Goddess of Khanh Hoa who protects and delivers prosperity and happiness. Under the lights of the Goddess Ponagar, there is always pure scent of Agarwood. Agarwood, therefore, also becomes the representative for peace, prosperity, and happiness.

In the future, we can talk about Viet Nam as the country of Agarwood

Agarwood goes along with the length of our national history and proves its value in all aspects of cultural and religious practices of Vietnamese people. The story of Agarwood is also the story of the nation of Viet Nam: overcoming miserable pains in the past, Viet Nam still remains as a compassionate and peace-loving nation. The scent of Agarwood is the spirit of Vietnamese people: endurance and imbued with humanity.

The image of Viet Nam today cannot be separated from the scent of Agarwood. In the occasion of APEC 2017, Viet Nam had chosen Agarwood fan as one of the souvenir gifts for leaders of economics. And it clearly shows that Viet Nam has been willing to spread its unique value to the global. We are ready to develop an industry for Agarwood which concentrates a high level of intelligence and technology. Agarwood will go beyond the boundary of cultural and spiritual values to become a profitable industry, contributing to the Vietnamese people and spreading its values to the world.

Agarwood is also an inspiration for Viet Nam to build up the “Nha Trang Peace and Innovation Village - i Nha Trang”, a hub for Vietnamese talents as well as an ideal relaxing, living and innovating place for world leaders and scientists. “This will be the place for innovative ideas and leading inventions which plays a decisive role in the development of Viet Nam and the world”, said Mr. Nguyen Anh Tuan – the Director of Boston Global Forum and Michael Dukakis Institute for Leadership and Innovation. This value brought leading researchers and experts from Havard University to the Nha Trang Peace and Innovation Village in 2015. And it will be our pleasure to receive Mr. Gray Cerf, father of Internet of Things as our guest in 2020. In the near future, we are looking forward to welcoming all of you to our peaceful and innovative space.

Today we meet in Madrid. In the future, we might see each other again in Viet Nam – the country of Agarwood. You will be welcomed in the special space of Agarwood where you can enjoy beautiful scenery, feel the scent of Goddess, and meet friendly Vietnamese people. It will be a place for us to share profound knowledge, beautiful dreams and cooperate to turn these dreams into reality.

Thank you!

Mr. Nguyen Van Tuong - Chairman of Tram Huong Khanh Hoa ATC meeting with the former Heads of state in the World