The 10th National Congress of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front (VFF) takes place on Thursday in Hà Nội. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — Delegates to the ongoing 10th National Congress of the Việt Nam Fatherland Front (VFF) have hailed the front’s role as a 'common house' of all ethnic groups and religions, displaying their hope that it will continue connecting the political system with the people so as to promote the strength from the great national solidarity bloc.

Most Venerable Thích Tánh Nhiếp, Vice Chairman of the Việt Nam Buddhist Sangha (VBS) Executive Council, said that one of the important achievements of the front in the past tenure was the close coordination with ministries and central agencies, as well as member agencies, in encouraging people from all classes inside and outside the country as well as from all ethnic groups and religions to successfully control the COVID-19 pandemic and promote socio-economic recovery and development.

The VFF called on all people and the Vietnamese community abroad as well as organisations and businesses to support victims of Typhoon Yagi and subsequent floods and landslides, helping them resume normal life and production, he noted.

Most Venerable Thích Lệ Trang, Chairman of the VBS Executive Council, underlined the VFF’s key role in the great national solidarity bloc that includes religions. The front has served as the common house for all ethnic groups and religions to gather and partner up in realising shared dreams, he stated.

He said he hopes the front will continue to exert efforts to gather all classes in the society for poverty eradication.

Vũ Hồng Phi, former President of the Women Union of Đồng Xuân Market in Hà Nội, highlighted the important role of the VFF in building the great national solidarity bloc.

She said she hopes in the next tenure, the front will continue encouraging people to promote the spirit of self-reliance, national pride, talent and creativity to sustainably reduce poverty and become more prosperous and engage in building the all-people defence and security.

Bùi Thanh Dũng, a delegate from the Mường ethnic group, Vice Chairman of the War Veteran’s Association of Số Tơi village, Yên Trung commune, Thạch Thất district of Hà Nội, said the VFF has been strong in connecting Party committees and administration at all levels, as well as the whole political system with the people, which is a key factor to unite people from all walks of life to follow the path led by the Party.

Yathi, a delegate from Churu ethnic minority group in Đức Trọng district of Central Highlands Lâm Đồng Province said that over the years, thanks to the support of the Party and State, the living conditions of ethnic minority communities have improved significantly with better access to information of the nation.

Nguyễn Lan Hương, Chairwoman of the VFF Committee of Hà Nội, said that over the past five years, the committee and member organisations have conducted various activities to support poor households and people with disadvantaged backgrounds, ensuring social welfare.

The VFF committees at all levels in the city have raised VNĐ411.1 billion (US$16.31 million) for the needy, building and repairing 5,099 houses, and assisting 31,679 poor students, while providing livelihood support to 8,988 households and healthcare support to 8,434 poor households.

The municipal VFF Committee also raised VNĐ169.7 billion for people affected by natural disasters and fire incidents, she said.

Hoàng Đình Thắng, member of the Presidium of the VFF Central Committee and President of the Union of Vietnamese People Associations in Europe, said that the union, established in October 2016, has worked to connect the Vietnamese community and support associations of Vietnamese youth, students and women in Europe, and encouraged Vietnamese community in Europe to respond to charity movements launched by the VFF.

Thắng said he hopes the Party, State and the VFF, through high-level exchanges and the diplomatic channel, will prompt some countries to recognise the Vietnamese community as an ethnic group, while designing policies to support domestic firms to invest abroad and creating favourable conditions for overseas Vietnamese to return home to work and make contributions to the homeland. — VNS