President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc (centre) witnesses the handing over of 1,000 ventilators donated by David Dương, a Vietnamese-American businessman. — VNA/VNS Photo

NEW YORK — President Nguyễn Xuân Phúc met with Vietnamese living in the US on September 22 (New York time) to listen to their aspirations as well as their ideas on development issues in Việt Nam.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the US Hà Kim Ngọc said that the Vietnamese community there has actively engaged in COVID-19 prevention and control efforts in Việt Nam by providing medical supplies, contributing and raising funds for the COVID-19 vaccine fund and calling on the US Government and organisations to donate COVID-19 vaccines to Việt Nam.

Despite impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic, Vietnamese representative agencies in the US have considered citizen protection as the top priority, he said.

President Phúc said that amid difficulties caused by the pandemic, the Party and State highly valued contributions from overseas Vietnamese.

Briefing them on the conclusion of the Party Central Committee on overseas Vietnamese affairs, the President affirmed that the Party and State considers the Vietnamese community abroad as an indispensable part of the Vietnamese nation and an important resource for the cause of national construction, development and defence.

With 5.3 million people living and working in 130 countries and territories, the Vietnamese community abroad have had an increasingly stable legal status and lives, and made great contributions to the home country’s development in various fields, he stressed.

President Phúc noted that during his current visit, many projects worth dozens of billions of US dollars have been signed between Vietnamese and US firms, showing that the US continues to be among the leading partners of Việt Nam and Việt Nam hopes to further lift bilateral cooperative ties to a new height.

The President stressed that the Vietnamese State and Government consider people’s health as a top priority and are working hard to push back the pandemic. He expressed his hopes that the Vietnamese community abroad will continue to assist their compatriots at home in overcoming the pandemic.

He also expected that each Vietnamese national abroad will act as an envoy of peace, strengthening the solidarity with their host countries, and helping maintain traditional culture among Vietnamese youths abroad.

The State leader hoped that more overseas Vietnamese young people will contribute to the construction of the homeland with their knowledge and enthusiasm.

He expressed his belief that the Vietnamese community in the US will help foster Vietnam-US ties, affirming that the Vietnamese State will create optimal conditions for them to settle down and integrate well into the host societies as well as maintain and develop the Vietnamese language and cultural identity, and look to the Fatherland.

Concluding the meeting, President Phúc witnessed the handing over of 1,000 ventilators donated by David Dương, a Vietnamese-American businessman, to support the home country's fight against COVID-19. — VNS