The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee opened the first conference for overseas Vietnamese in Hanoi on November 21, drawing the participation of 1,500 delegates including nearly 900 overseas Vietnamese.

The conference was attended by State President Nguyen Minh Triet, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem, former senior Party and State leaders and representatives from central ministries, sectors and 51 provinces and cities throughout the country.

In his opening speech, Mr Khiem said that this conference is of great significance because it is being held for the first time, gathering overseas Vietnamese of different ages and social levels.

The conference is a major forum for Vietnamese residents abroad and State agencies to exchange their opinions on policies for overseas Vietnamese to instigate appropriate polices in the future.

The event also aims to praise collectives and individuals for their outstanding achievements in overseas Vietnamese affairs, said Mr Khiem.

The deputy PM also expressed his hope that the conference will bring democracy into full play to help ministries and sectors devise more effective measures towards a firm foundation for Resolution 36 on overseas Vietnamese affairs adopted by the Communist Party of Vietnam’s (CPV) Political Bureau.

State President Triet said he is very happy to meet and share his sentiments with overseas Vietnamese who always turn their hearts to the homeland.

“We are delighted to see the significant achievements the country has recorded after more than 20 years of the Doi Moi (Renovation) process. Vietnam has posted a year-on-year economic growth rate and maintained political stability- its strong point compared to other countries in the world. Progress has been made in cultural and social, people’s living standards have been improved remarkably, and Vietnam’s prestige and status have been raised in the international arena.

Despite the global economic downturn, Vietnam still maintains its GDP growth rate and has received great acclaim from the international community. Today, we are proud of being able to walk abreast with other powers in the world and have a strong voice in international forums,” Mr Triet said.

He also pointed out weaknesses in socio-economic development that Vietnam needs to resolve in the future.

The Vietnamese Party and State will try their best to implement overseas Vietnamese affairs effectively by providing them with necessary information, protecting their legitimate rights and helping them to preserve national customs and traditions, particularly the use of the Vietnamese language abroad. The Party and State of Vietnam always attach great importance to overseas Vietnamese affairs, which contributes to reinforcing national unity, Mr Triet emphasised.

The State leader also asked overseas Vietnamese to contribute their opinions on Party and State policies and guidelines to improve them.

Mobilising the brainpower of overseas Vietnamese

At the conference, delegates had an opportunity to share opinions with the government’s senior leaders through seminars on building a strong, and prosperous Vietnamese community, which will contribute to the cause of national construction, and promote cultural identity and traditions throughout the community.

Nguyen Duc Thanh, President of the Vietnamese People’s Association in the UK expressed his wish that the Vietnamese State will pay more attention to preserving the Vietnamese language and assist teaching programmes.

Tran Duc Mau, deputy head of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese affirmed that the conference is a forum to enable Vietnamese nationals abroad to join efforts to build a stable and strong Vietnamese community and open a new chapter for the overseas Vietnamese.

Solidarity of Vietnamese people around the world

Hoang Van Vinh, Chairman of the Vietnamese People’s Association in Svetlov, Russia said that the conference has helped Vietnamese nationals living around the world raise the voice of their homeland.

To Quy Phu, an overseas Vietnamese in France, was very proud to attend the conference, adding that the event proves that the Vietnamese government has always paid special attention to overseas Vietnamese. He expressed his wish to see a dynamic Vietnam on the right track for development.

Nguyen Manh Phat, a 30-year-old master of information technology, the youngest overseas Vietnamese from France, said that he refused a lot of career opportunities in Paris after graduating and returned to HCM City to become a programme director for IBM and supervise French projects abroad.