Vietnamese diplomatic corps in many countries have organised an array of activities for the overseas Vietnamese community to celebrate the Tet (Lunar New Year) festival.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Laos hosted a banquet on January 24 in the presence of Lao Vice President Bounnhang Volachith and National Assembly Chairman Pani Zathotou.

Addressing the event, Ambassador Nguyen Manh Hung said the embassy and relevant agencies successfully fulfilled their assigned tasks in 2013, contributing to cooperation in all areas between Vietnam and Laos.

Noting the two-way trade that exceeded 1 billion USD last year, the diplomat attributed such outcomes to the regular guidance of the two countries’ Party and State leaders as well as the close coordination between their ministries, agencies and localities.

He thanked leaders of the Lao Party, State, Government, National Assembly, ministries, agencies and localities for their support and cooperation with the embassy last year, voicing his hope for more assistance from the Lao side.

In reply, Bounnhang Volachith congratulated Vietnam on its achievements recorded in 2013 and expressed his belief that the Vietnamese people, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, will reap greater fruits in the time ahead.

Within the framework of the event, there was an art performance featuring the friendship between the two countries.

The same day, the Vietnamese Consulate General in Hong Kong and Macau (China) held a festival ahead of the traditional Tet holiday.

Consul General Nguyen Thi Nha reviewed the consulate general’s activities in the year with special attention paid to citizen protection.

Nha noted her wish that overseas Vietnamese in Hong Kong and Macau will bring into full play the solidarity to make more contributions to the homeland.

Meanwhile, about 600 overseas Vietnamese in Singapore on January 24 cheered up at a New Year get-together organised by the Vietnamese Embassy in the country.

Speaking at the event, Ambassador Tran Hai Hau described 2013 as a special year for the Vietnam-Singapore relationship with numerous important activities.

He reflected on the establishment of a strategic partnership between the two countries, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit to Singapore and attendance at the Shangri-La Dialogue and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s visit to Vietnam on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties.

Singapore’s total newly-registered and additional capital in Vietnam hit 4.37 billion USD last year, accounting for 20 percent of the total foreign direct investment in the country, he said.

Two-way trade between the two countries reached 17.4 billion SGD (13.6 billion USD), of which Vietnam’s exports to Singapore stood at 3.8 billion SGD, representing a year-on-year rise of over 36 percent.

On this occasion, a liaison committee for overseas Vietnamese in Singapore make debut.

According to Vu Minh Khuong, head of the committee, about 12,000 Vietnamese are living and working in the country, including more than 8,000 students, over 1,000 experts, around 1,000 businesspeople and 1,000 bride and bridegrooms.

On the Lunar New Year occasion, Vietnamese Ambassador to Czech Republic Truong Manh Son has held a get-together for representatives of Vietnamese-language print and online newspapers run by overseas Vietnamese in the European country.-VNA