President Nguyen Xuan Phuc and overseas Vietnamese at the Homeland Spring 2022. Photo: The President's Office.

In a recent event organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for overseas Vietnamese on the occasion of Lunar New Year 2022, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Hieu, Chairman of the State Committee on Overseas Vietnamese, said that overseas Vietnamese intellectuals have offered suggestions on many important issues of the country, such as technology, artificial intelligence, start-up and innovation, disease prevention, and economic development model.

In addition, the "soft" resources of the overseas Vietnamese community have been and will contribute to improving the country's image and position, promoting relations between Vietnam and countries around the world, he said.

Mr. Nguyen Ngoc My (Vietnamese Australian), said that Vietnam was heavily affected by Covid-19 last year, especially Ho Chi Minh City. However, Vietnam has overcome difficulties to become a bright spot in the fight against the pandemic. Although Vietnam’s economic growth was below the target the economy was stable, which is highly appreciated by the international community.

“I personally and the overseas Vietnamese community are very proud of the country because we have partly contributed to that success, even though it is very small," said My.

In recent years, many younger overseas Vietnamese have returned to the homeland to do business and contribute to Vietnam’s development. My, who runs a food processing firm, realized Vietnam’s potential in agricultural production early on. For many years now, he has researched and introduced many Vietnamese agricultural products to the world.

Dr. Nguyen Thuy Anh, a Vietnamese American, an expert in the field of environmental science, said that patriotism and national pride are inherent in every overseas Vietnamese. This is a great resource to be promoted.

She praised Vietnam's strong commitments on climate change response made by Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26). That motivated Dr. Thuy Anh and many overseas Vietnamese to accompany and contribute to the Vietnamese Government’s effort to realize the goals of green economy and circular economy.

Mr. Nguyen Duy Lan, a Vietnamese American, the founder of Veramine, a company specializing in high-end cybersecurity products, said he was very pleased to see that in recent years, Vietnam has paid great attention to network security issues and aspires to become a powerhouse in this field.

As the operator of a company that has important contracts on cybersecurity with the US Department of Defense, the US Department of Homeland Security, and the US Air Force, Lan has proposed to the Government and the Prime Minister strengthening Vietnam's network security system - a field of global concern.

The Association of Vietnamese in the Czech Republic is one of the overseas Vietnamese associations that has developed strongly in recent years. The Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic has a history of nearly 70 years. This is one of the pioneering communities in volunteer and humanitarian support activities in both the host country and the homeland.

Ms. Ta Pham Bich Thuy, President of the Vietnamese Women's Association in the Czech Republic, Standing Vice President of the Vietnamese Buddhist Association in the Czech Republic, said that, as in many other countries where Vietnamese people live, there are many Vietnamese associations in the country.

The Association of Vietnamese in the Czech Republic plays the most prominent role among the Vietnamese associations there. The community of Vietnamese in the Czech Republic is small, with less than 100,000, but the operation of the Vietnamese Association is very strong, particularly activities towards the homeland.

Following in the footsteps of previous generations, the young generation of overseas Vietnamese is growing stronger, making significant contributions to the country's socio-economic development, serving as a bridge between the movement of domestic and international youth.

According to preliminary statistics of the State Committee on Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, the number of overseas Vietnamese under the age of 45 accounts for about 60% of Vietnamese in the US, Germany and Australia – the three countries with more than 50% of the total number of Vietnamese living overseas.

Organizations for young Vietnamese people and students abroad have been formed in 21 countries. The Vietnamese Student Association in the US, established in 2013, is a typical example of overseas Vietnamese youth organizations. After nine years of operation, this association has become an outstanding one with many activities promoting solidarity of young people and students abroad.

The association has made great strides, becoming the largest association for Vietnamese students and young professionals in the US, with more than 30,000 members in 50 states. The association has also organized many activities to contribute to the development of the community and strengthen diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the US.

Tran Thuong

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