VietNamNet Bridge – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vu Hong Nam speaks to Vietnam News Agency about a new law that will allow overseas Vietnamese and foreigners with local spouses or children to enter the country.

How will the visa-waving law facilitate Vietnamese community overseas?

Decree No 82 is a document successive to Decision No. 135/2007/QD-TTg [in 2007]. The replacement of Decision 135 with Decree 82 is a step to further institutionalise regulations on visa weaving for Vietnamese overseas, ensuring it will be compatible with the 2014 law on entry, exit, transit and residence of foreigners in Viet Nam and the country's target to streamline and clarify administrative procedures.

This shows the Party and State's determination to make it easier for Vietnamese overseas to return home, and further affirms that the Party and State consider the Vietnamese community abroad an undetachable part of Vietnamese ethnic groups.

Previously, in accordance with the Decision 135, Vietnamese overseas enjoyed a three month visa exemption. With the newly-issued Decree 82, Vietnamese overseas will be entitled to visa exemption for a six month-long stay and visa extension for an additional six months.

The law makes it clear that anyone of Vietnamese blood living abroad are eligible for visa exemption. This is a remarkable step towards facilitating Vietnamese returning home.

The move builds trust among Vietnamese overseas and makes them feel secure with the consistent policies of the Party and State towards Vietnamese abroad.

What are the achievements of the Party and State's work regarding overseas Vietnamese under the context of Viet Nam's deeper international integration?

More than 4.5 million Vietnamese are residing in over 109 nations and territories world-wide, they are an undetachable part of Viet Nam. The majority of Vietnamese abroad feel confident in the leadership of the Party, making them closely connected to the country.

At present, the majority of Vietnamese abroad share the same thoughts with Vietnamese at home of how to build national solidarity, a Viet Nam strong and prestigious in the world arena.

The work towards Vietnamese overseas has obtained results such as providing clearer policies, procedures and paper work. A good example is the issuance of the Decree 82 to replace the Decision 135.

Policies on culture have enabled Vietnamese abroad to engage in national culture. Vietnam News Agency has made considerable contributions. The agency's TV programmes and bulletins have updated Vietnamese overseas with information about the social and culture life in the country.

Any Vietnamese who returns home to do business or make investments contributing to national development, is also welcome.

What will be the focus of the State Committee for overseas Vietnamese Affairs to best enforce the Politburo's Instruction No 45-CT/TW on continuing to implement the Resolution No.36-NQ/TW on works towards overseas Vietnamese?

The Politburo's Instruction No.45-CT/TW dated May 19, 2015 came into being under the context of Viet Nam integrating internationally. Under the changing international situation, we are aware that Vietnamese overseas encounter both favourable conditions as well as difficulties in the access to the Vietnamese culture and language or simply repatriation.

Therefore, we need to have separate policy for overseas Vietnamese. The Instruction No. 45 was enforced 10 years after we had been executing the Politburo's Resolution No. 36 on works towards Vietnamese living abroad.

To effectively implement Instruction No.45, first and foremost, we must concentrate on policies available to facilitate Vietnamese overseas to return home to do business at home, and to raise awareness of both Vietnamese residing in and outside the country about the fact that they are absolutely together and are a part of national unity.

VNS