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Overseas Vietnamese financial and brainpower resources should be further utilized

VGP – The Vietnamese Party and State should further utilize two “gold mines”, namely remittances and brainpower from the overseas Vietnamese communities to contribute to national construction and development process.

January 27, 2019 10:22 AM GMT+7

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc shakes hands with an overseas Vietnamese as he was entering the room to have a cordial meeting with 100 overseas Vietnamese in Ha Noi on January 26, 2019. Photo: VGP

A representative from the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic made the above statement at the meeting between PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and 100 overseas Vietnamese in Ha Noi on Saturday.

Statistics indicate that remittances to Viet Nam reached US$16 billion in 2018 compared to US$13.8 billion in 2017 and US$11.8 billion in 2016.

Meanwhile, more than 4.5 million Vietnamese are now living and working in over 100 countries and territories around the world, playing an important role in intensifying friendship and cooperation between Viet Nam and the rest of the world.

More importantly, they are a source of brainpower and they express their wish to play a role in the homeland’s development course through various ways, including investment projects.

Overseas Vietnamese poured nearly US$5 billion in 200 projects in Viet Nam while about 300-500 overseas intellectuals have returned home in recent years to join activities in science-technology, education-training, build a start-up ecosystem, or have been invited to work with universities, research institutes, hi-tech zones and economic establishments. 

Speaking at the meeting, PM Phuc briefed about recent socio-economic achievements, particularly Viet Nam was one of the fastest-growing economies in the world last year and business environment is improving.

The poverty rate has also fell significantly. Each year, the Government provides tens of thousands of tons of rice to needy persons in an effort to leave no one hungry, the Government chief said.

Appreciating the effective contributions of the overseas Vietnamese to the national development process, Phuc affirmed the Government is all ears to ideas and aspirations of the overseas Vietnamese so that they could better engage in the national development process.

He also spoke highly of successful stories of the overseas Vietnamese in various fields like politics, culture, science in foreign countries, pledging to continue working with foreign countries to ensure legal status of overseas Vietnamese to help them better integrate into the host societies.

He took the occasion to extend best wishes to all overseas Vietnamese on the occasion of the country’s Lunar New Year.

The overseas Vietnamese community is regarded as an inseparable part of the nation./.

By Quang Minh