Overseas Vietnamese (OVs) in the US have cared about the homeland’s situation, especially issues regarding national security, sea and island sovereignty, said a senior diplomat.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Nguyen Quoc Cuong made the statement while meeting reporters on the sidelines of the 27 th Diplomatic Conference, which is taking place in the capital city of Hanoi from Dec. 12-19.

“OVs as well as newspapers of OVs mentioned these issues and raised a lot of questions whenever they met me,” Cuong was quoted by the dailies Lao Dong (Labour) and Quan doi Nhan dan (People’s Army) as saying.

The ambassador said he told OVs that national sovereignty and territorial integrity is a sacred thing for all Vietnamese people living both in and outside the country.

“The most important matter is how to deal with differences on the basis of negotiations and international law as well as maintain a stable and peaceful environment for national development,” he stressed.

Regarding Vietnam-US relations, the diplomat said the bilateral ties have seen great progress in all aspects since the two countries normalised their relations 16 years ago.

However, the US should work harder to enhance trust between the two nations, he said, adding that the US should also soon lift its embargo on anti-personnel weapons against Vietnam , and recognise the country’s market economy status./.