HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc met a delegation of overseas Vietnamese (OVs) at the annual “Homeland Spring 2020” programme in Hà Nội on Saturday.

At the meeting, the PM welcomed the expatriates home for the traditional New Year, saying that their participation in the programme reflects their warm sentiment for and close bonds with the home country.

He affirmed that Party and State leaders highly value the OVs’ contributions to the development of their host countries.

Phúc added that he is impressed by OV communities’ efforts to maintain the Vietnamese cultural identity abroad, such as teaching of the Vietnamese language, and holding events featuring Vietnamese cuisine and folk music, thus introducing Vietnamese culture to international friends.

The Government leader also lauded the trade and consumption of Vietnamese goods abroad, as well as remittances sent to the country for economic development.

He noted that Việt Nam is one of the world’s top 10 recipients of remittances, and said the inflow of money is a useful resource for the country’s economic growth.

The PM wished that the OVs would stay united to make further contributions to their host countries and homeland.

He instructed ministries, agencies and localities to offer all possible support to OVs to do business and engage in science-technology cooperation in Việt Nam.

According to the Foreign Ministry, there are about 4.5 million Vietnamese living and working in over 110 countries and territories, with over 500,000 of them holding bachelor and higher degrees

Over 1,500 OVs from 30 countries and territories, the largest number so far, have returned to join the Homeland Spring 2020 programme.

Besides joining traditional Tết practices and touring significant historic sites of the country, many overseas Vietnamese said that the programme is a good way to find investment opportunities in Việt Nam.

Nguyễn Huy Anh, originally from the northern province of Bắc Ninh and now living in the Czech Republic, said that he has been away from Việt Nam for more than three decades now but he usually finds the time to be home for Tết.

Huy Anh said he was always impressed by the new developments, upgraded infrastructure and improved living standards of the local community every time he returned to the country, adding that this time around, he is looking to invest in the healthcare sector in his home province.

Nguyễn Ngọc Hoàn, chairman of the Vietnamese business association in the Republic of Korea, who has been living there for more than 10 years, said he is looking for trade promotion and vocational training cooperation opportunities for a number of his association’s member companies in Việt Nam.

“As Việt Nam and the Republic of Korea is aiming for US100 billion in trade in 2020, I wish that our community could contribute our part to realise this goal,” Hoàn said. — VNS