Hanoi (VNA) - Representing more than 6.5 million overseas Vietnamese (OV) worldwide returning home to attend the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress, many overseas delegates expressed their joy and pride in being part of the great national unity bloc, along with a strong aspiration to contribute and join hands in building an increasingly prosperous country.
Proud to be Vietnamese
Attending the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress which officially kicked off in Hanoi on December 27 morning, Hoang Dinh Thang, member of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee's Presidium and President of the Union of Vietnamese Associations in Europe, said this is a great honour and a recognition not only for himself but for the entire Union of Vietnamese Associations in Europe.
The participation of overseas Vietnamese in the congress, he noted, is not only the recognition by the Party and the State of their contributions, but also a strong source of encouragement, reaffirming that the OV community is an inseparable part of the nation. This, in turn, helps them further recognise their responsibility to preserve cultural identity, build a united community, integrate sustainably into host societies, and accompany the country’s development.
According to Thang, the theme “Emulation for innovation, acceleration, and breakthrough to usher the nation into an era of strength, civilisation, and prosperity” clearly reflects the spirit of renewal, creativity and the nation’s aspirations for strong development in the new period. For overseas Vietnamese, this is both a guiding message and a call to action.
He emphasised that wherever they live and work, OVs can contribute to the homeland through concrete actions suited to their capacities and conditions, especially by leveraging the “soft power” of knowledge and reputable networks in host societies. Such contributions, whether huge or small, if sustained and well connected, will form an important resource for national development, helping Vietnam enter a new era of prosperous and thriving development, Thang elaborated.
Always turning towards the homeland
Having lived abroad for many years and returning home for the first time to attend the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress, Dr. Nguyen Hong Son, President of the Union of Vietnamese Associations in Japan, said he clearly felt the positive, warm and sincere energy shared by each delegate at the congress.
For Son, attending the congress is not only a personal honour but also an opportunity to reflect on the journey of the Vietnamese community in Japan. The congress has reinforced his confidence and motivation to continue working with the community to build a strong, united and well-integrated Vietnamese community in Japan, while preserving cultural identity and making practical contributions to the homeland.
Son hoped that in the coming time, the patriotic emulation movement at home will continue to spread more widely, closely linked to real issues facing society and people, and particularly encourage creativity and dedication to the common good.
He also expressed his wish that the patriotic emulation movement will continue to serve as a bridge enabling OVs to engage more deeply in national development through the transfer of knowledge, experience and technology, investment connectivity, and cultural and educational exchanges.
Each OV as a “people-to-people diplomacy ambassador”
Sharing views on the notable contributions of overseas Vietnamese to national development, Tran Phu Thuan, Vice President and Secretary General of the Union of Vietnamese Organisations in Russia, stressed that since the issuance of Politburo Resolution No. 36-NQ/TW on overseas Vietnamese affairs, the OV community has felt more empowered, become more closely connected, and participated more actively in common national activities, including the patriotic emulation movements.
He noted that each OV should leverage their strengths to make practical contributions to national development. With more than 6.5 million OVs, many are intellectuals, students and highly qualified experts trained at reputable institutions and working in modern science and technology environments. Their transfer of accumulated knowledge and experience back to the homeland represents a highly valuable resource.
In addition, each OV also serves as a “people-to-people diplomacy ambassador,” with deep understanding of the culture, history and socio-economic conditions of host countries. Through cultural, sports and community exchanges, they help promote mutual understanding and further strengthen relations between Vietnam and their host nations, he said.
Thuan expressed his hope that the Party and the State will continue to pay attention to organising emulation movements suited to OV communities, while providing clearer orientations and guidance to enable their more effective participation.
The OV community will continue to unite, accompany and stand side by side with compatriots at home, thus helping to affirm Vietnam’s growing stature and position, he affirmed./.
