Vietnamese people’s solidarity has never shone so brightly: ambassador

Vietnamese people in Cape Town, South Africa, make traditional dishes in celebration of the Lunar New Year 2022 (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The solidarity among the Vietnamese people has never shone so brightly during the COVID-19 pandemic, said Ambassador Luong Thanh Nghi, Vice Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese (OV) Affairs (SCOV).

Talking to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the Lunar New Year (Tet), he said the Party and State have always paid attention to encouraging OVs to uphold and bring into play the national identity and spread the country’s values to international friends.

Every year, the SCOV organises trips to the homeland for OVs, particularly on the occasion of important anniversaries or events like the death anniversary of the Hung Kings - the legendary founder of Vietnam, Tet, and the National Day (September 2). Among those activities, the Homeland Spring programme, held annually on the occasion of Tet, is the largest cultural event for the OV community.

Summer camps also take place annually for young OVs to experience cultural and historical values as well as the daily life in the homeland, Nghi noted, adding that overseas representative agencies of Vietnam hold Tet celebrations each year, and the SCOV has worked with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to arrange the Vietnam Day or Vietnamese Culture Week in many countries.

Ambassador Luong Thanh Nghi, Vice Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (Photo: VNA)

With regard to COVID-19, he said since the pandemic broke out, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has coordinated with relevant agencies to make plans to repatriate Vietnamese citizens stranded abroad. Though not all citizens’ wish to return home has been met, thanks to efforts by Vietnamese agencies both at home and abroad, the repatriation work has been done well, showing the spirit of mutual assistance, especially the compatriotship with OVs.

In the trying times caused by the pandemic’s impacts on every economic, cultural, and social aspect, the Vietnamese people have demonstrated their mettle and will and popularised the Vietnamese values to international friends, according to the ambassador.

In 2020 and 2021, Vietnamese overseas donated about 120 billion VND (5.3 million USD) to the COVID-19 Prevention and Control Fund and the COVID-19 Vaccine Fund, thousands of tonnes of medical supplies, and hundreds of thousands of N95 face masks. In particular, a number of Vietnamese doctors in the US and some other countries voluntarily applied to join frontline forces in the homeland in the pandemic combat. Several online forums were held for OVs, especially medical experts, to share anti-pandemic experience with Ho Chi Minh City and other southern localities.

Nghi went on to say that in the vaccine diplomacy campaign, many OV associations along with prestigious and influential Vietnamese persons in other countries assisted representative agencies in seeking and accessing sources of vaccine supplies. The vaccine abundance at present is partly attributable to OVs.

Concluding the interview, he sent the best wishes to all OVs and expressed his hope that they will maintain their enthusiasm to join hands with compatriots in the homeland to realise the aspiration for national prosperity and happiness for all people./.

VNA