Brussels (VNA) – 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 delegation of Vietnam met with officials and staff of the Vietnamese representative agencies in Belgium and representatives of the Vietnamese community in Europe in Brussels on the evening of October 21 (local time).
At the meeting, Vietnamese Ambassador to Belgium and Head of the Vietnamese Mission to the European Union Nguyen Huong Tra said there are approximately 1.5 million Vietnamese people living in Europe.
The community has continued to grow, with members enjoying increasingly stable lives and integrating well into their host societies. They have maintained strong solidarity, supported one another and enhanced their standing, influence and voice in their local communities. The community is deeply committed to and closely connected with their homeland, she noted.
They also actively 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, she added.
Vietnamese representative agencies, including the Vietnamese Embassy in Belgium, have consistently regarded overseas Vietnamese affairs as a key priority alongside their diplomatic responsibilities. The embassy has regularly supported and worked closely with community associations in carrying out their activities, while helping them expand their networks, Tra said.
Addressing the meeting, General Secretary and President Lam affirmed that the Vietnamese community abroad has remained closely connected with the country's development throughout its various stages. They have worked hard to build increasingly stable and prosperous lives and integrate into their host societies while preserving their Vietnamese identity.
The standing and reputation of the Vietnamese community abroad have continued to grow, with many overseas Vietnamese achieving distinction in business, science, technology, education, healthcare, culture, the arts and other fields, he said.
He acknowledged and highly appreciated the contributions of Vietnamese associations across Europe, particularly the Union of Vietnamese Associations in Europe, which has organised meaningful activities for the community, strengthened its standing in the region and maintained strong ties with the homeland.
Emphasising that Vietnam is entering a new phase of development, he said the Party and State are mobilising all available resources to generate new growth drivers and achieve the country's development goals for 2030 and 2045.
A prerequisite for this process is to combine domestic strengths with international resources while harnessing the power of great national unity, encompassing more than 100 million people at home and 6.5 million Vietnamese living, studying and working abroad, he said.
He welcomed the initiative to convene the fifth World Conference of Overseas Vietnamese, scheduled to take place in Hanoi from December 17 to 20, describing it as 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.
The Party and State will continue to refine and improve the institutional framework, mechanisms and policies in a coordinated, open and breakthrough-oriented manner to enable overseas Vietnamese to participate more actively in the country's socio-economic development and play a greater role as partners in and co-creators of national development, he said.
He called on Vietnamese associations and the Union of Vietnamese Associations in Europe to further strengthen their role in fostering solidarity and enhancing the community's standing and reputation across Europe. He encouraged overseas Vietnamese to make greater contributions as a bridge of friendship between Vietnam and European countries, and entrepreneurs and businesses to promote Vietnamese products in European markets and connect European enterprises with investment opportunities in Vietnam. Experts, intellectuals and scientists were encouraged to research and develop advanced and strategic technologies and implement cooperation programmes and projects with domestic partners. Younger generations were urged to continue integrating in 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, safeguarding their legitimate rights and interests while serving as a bridge with the homeland and promoting concrete, practical cooperation programmes and projects./.
