Deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Thanh Son has expressed his hope that the upcoming establishment of a Vietnamese General Association in Belgium will help strengthen solidarity among overseas Vietnamese (OVs) in the country.

Son, who is also Head of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (COVA) made the statement while meeting with OVs and Vietnamese students here in Brussels on October 1.

The Deputy FM hailed the contribution of the OV community in Belgium to the development of their homeland and briefed them on the current situation in Vietnam.

The law on residence is being amended to offer more favourable conditions for OVs to return to live in the country, he said.

Son also underscored the Party and State’s policy to consider OVs as an inseparable part of the country.

He promised to do his utmost to support them in doing business and contribute further to the nation’s development.

Tang Van Hai, first Chairman of the Vietnamese solidarity association in Belgium (1973-1979), said that Vietnamese expatriates always look towards the home country.

A 14-member provisional executive board for the congress to set up the Vietnamese General Association in Belgium has been shaped. The congress is expected to take place in November on the occasion of the 40 th anniversary of the bilateral diplomatic ties.

As many as 12,000 Vietnamese people are currently living in Belgium.-VNA