The former General Association of Vietnamese in Japan, the Vietnamese Youth and Student Association in Japan (VYSA) and the Vietnamese Associations in Kansai and Kanto on July 19 held a congress to set up the Overseas Vietnamese Association in Japan (OVA).

The congress approved the newly-established association’s regulations and elected a five-member executive board headed by Dr. Le Van Tam, a member of the former General Association of Vietnamese in Japan.

The congress also adopted the OVA’s operation orientations for the 2009-2010 term with focus on strengthening mutual assistance among Vietnamese nationals, helping develop the friendship between Vietnam and Japan .

At a party in celebration for the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Nguyen Phu Binh expressed his hope that with the establishment of the OVA, the Vietnamese people’s movement in Japan will step into a new stage of development.

Japan is now home to 37,000 Vietnamese people, including 20,000 students./.