The meeting has been organised to review the activities of Overseas Vietnamese communities and the effectiveness of the Party and State’s policies to support these communities.
A Radio Voice of Vietnam (VOV) reporter interviewed Nguyen Thanh Son, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Chairman of the State Commission on Overseas Vietnamese and asked him to highlight some of the meeting’s more important issues.
Reporter: Could you outline the reason for the meeting and what was focused on at the first meeting?
Mr. Son: This meeting is very important, as the Party Politburo’s Resolution 36 concerning Overseas Vietnamese confirms that they are an indispensible, extremely important part of the Vietnamese nation to provide momentus for the country’s development.
The meeting is expected to serve as a forum for Overseas Vietnamese communities to discuss ways of improving the living standards of Vietnamese people and develop the country, to create a consolidated community and unify the Vietnamese people and Overseas Vietnamese communities.
The meeting will focus on issues such as consolidating the nation, preserving and developing the nation’s identity, encouraging entrepreneurs and their contributions to the nation plus attracting rising numbers of intellectuals from overseas. The Overseas Vietnamese also had a chance to meet with senior officials from the Party and State and will be updated with the latest information.
Reporter: How will the State Commission on Overseas Vietnamese’s policies consolidate the nation and create a stronger link between the Overseas Vietnamese and their motherland?
Mr. Son: Firstly, thanks to the 36th Resolution, many Overseas Vietnamese communities have been established around the world. These communities have contributed greatly to linking up the Overseas Vietnamese with their homeland.
Secondly, the Government’s 135th Resolution to lift all the immigration procedures for Overseas Vietnamese shows the nation’s support for Overseas Vietnamese communities.
Reporter: How can the nation attract and encourage the intellectuals?
Mr. Son: This remains a national concern. The country should find ways of making full use of roundly 400 Overseas Vietnamese intellectuals. Many of them are working for leading institutes in developed countries such as the US, Australia, France and Germany.
The Party and State hope that more and more Overseas Vietnamese intellectuals will return to their homeland. Some of them previously worked in the country’s state agencies despite a lack of material and equipment. Vietnam is striving to provide them with a better conditions and adequate materials so that they can stay and work for the country.
Reporter: As the senior official in charge of Overseas Vietnamese affairs, could you review the achievement of what Overseas Vietnamese communities have done to promote Vietnam abroad?
Mr. Son: Vietnamese people are intelligent and industrious and can easily integrate into their new environments. Many of them have become popular where they live for actively taking part in their residence countries.
They are not only an indispensible part of our nation but also an important link between Vietnam and other countries. They help promote the nation’s prestige and show that Vietnam’s intellectual potential is huge.
Vietnam hopes that, with the ever growing number of the Overseas Vietnamese communities, its diplomatic relations with other nations will continue to go and flourish. This, in return, will help these communities further integrate into their residence countries.
Reporter: Thank you.