Delegates join seven overseas Vietnamese collectives and 15 individuals who are honoured during a ceremony on Friday for a group photo. VNA/VNS Photo Xuân Khu

HCM CITY – Seven overseas Vietnamese collectives and 15 individuals with outstanding contributions to the building and promotion of solidarity among the OV community were honoured at a meeting held by the Việt Nam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee's Standing Board in Ho Chi Minh City on February 2.

Addressing the event, held on the occasion of the ongoing "Xuân Quê hương" (Homeland Spring) programme with the participation of 100 OVs, Vice President of the VFF Central Committee Tô Thị Bích Châu highlighted the great national solidarity as a precious tradition, an important and thorough strategy of the Party, a great source of strength and a decisive factor determining the success of the national construction and defence cause.

She underlined that the Party and State always consider the Vietnamese community abroad is an indispensable part of the nation.

The official hailed the collectives and individuals’ contributions to OV movements as well as the reinforcement and promotion of the great national solidarity bloc, while pledging that the VFF will work harder in social supervision and feedback during the completion and implementation of policies and laws related to OVs, while coordinating with the State Committee for OV Affairs to support OVs in difficult areas.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng, who is also Chairwoman of the State Committee for OV Affairs, said that nearly six million Vietnamese people are living, studying and working in 130 countries and territories across the world.

As of November 2023, there had been 421 projects in Việt Nam funded by OVs from 29 countries and territories, with total investment of over US$1.72 billion. The amount of remittances to Việt Nam in 2023 was estimated at $16 billion, an increase of 32 per cent from the previous year.

Representatives of the OVs thanked the Party, State and VFF for providing them with favourable conditions to join activities at home, affirming that they always head to the homeland and stand ready to work for the development of the Vietnamese community abroad and for the prosperity of the Fatherland. VNS