As part of his official visit to the European Union and Belgium, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam, his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly and a high-ranking Vietnamese delegation met in Brussels on the evening of October 21 local time with officials and staff of Vietnamese representative agencies in Belgium and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Europe.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium and Head of the Vietnamese Mission to the European Union Nguyen Huong Tra said that approximately 1.5 million Vietnamese people live in Europe.
She said the community continues to grow, with its members enjoying increasingly stable lives and integrating well into their host societies. They maintain solidarity, support one another and strengthen their standing, influence and voice in local communities.
They also preserve the Vietnamese language, promote the country's cultural heritage and traditional values, and serve as a bridge of friendship between Vietnam and European countries, the ambassador added.
Vietnamese representative agencies, including the Vietnamese Embassy in Belgium, regard overseas Vietnamese affairs as a priority alongside their diplomatic responsibilities. The embassy regularly supports and works with community associations, helping them expand their networks, Tra said.
Addressing the meeting, To Lam said the Vietnamese community abroad has remained connected with the country's development at different stages. Its members have worked to build more stable and prosperous lives, integrate into their host societies and preserve their Vietnamese identity.
He said the standing and reputation of the Vietnamese community abroad continue to grow, with many overseas Vietnamese achieving distinction in business, science, technology, education, healthcare, culture, the arts and other fields.
He highly valued the contributions of Vietnamese associations across Europe, particularly the Union of Vietnamese Associations in Europe, which organises meaningful activities for the community, strengthens its standing in the region and maintains close ties with the homeland.
To Lam said Vietnam is entering a new stage of development. The Party and State are mobilising available resources to create new growth drivers and achieve the country's development goals for 2030 and 2045.
He said a prerequisite is to combine domestic strengths with international resources and use the potential of great national unity, which includes more than 100 million people in Vietnam and 6.5 million Vietnamese living, studying and working abroad.
He welcomed the initiative to hold the fifth World Conference of Overseas Vietnamese in Hanoi from December 17 to 20, calling it an important opportunity to bring together and connect Vietnamese communities worldwide.
The Party General Secretary and State President also noted that the Politburo had recently issued Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW on overseas Vietnamese affairs.
He said the Party and State will continue to improve the institutional framework, mechanisms and policies in this area so that overseas Vietnamese can participate more actively in the country's socio-economic development and play a greater role as partners and co-creators of national development.
He called on Vietnamese associations and the Union of Vietnamese Associations in Europe to strengthen solidarity and raise the community's standing and reputation across Europe. To Lam also encouraged overseas Vietnamese to play a more active role as a bridge of friendship between Vietnam and European countries, and entrepreneurs and businesses to promote Vietnamese products in European markets and connect European businesses with investment opportunities in Vietnam. He encouraged experts, intellectuals and scientists to research and develop advanced and strategic technologies and carry out cooperation programmes and projects with partners in Vietnam. He urged younger generations to continue integrating into their host societies while preserving their Vietnamese identity.
He asked ministries, sectors and localities to proactively establish connections and create favourable conditions for overseas Vietnamese to invest, conduct research, transfer technology and contribute to national development. Vietnamese representative agencies abroad, he stressed, must remain a reliable source of support for overseas Vietnamese, protect their legitimate rights and interests, maintain links with the homeland and promote concrete, practical cooperation programmes and projects.
Sources: VietnamPlus / Vietnam News Agency
