President Nguyen Minh Triet has highlighted Vietnam’s important achievements in 2009, attributing them to the efforts by all Vietnamese people, including overseas Vietnamese.

At a Tet get-together in Hanoi on February 6, Mr Triet said that the global economic recession in 2009 took its heavy toll on many countries, including Vietnam. Thanks to the Party’s correct guidelines, the government’s remarkable performance, and efforts by businesses and people, the country has weathered the storm and showed positive signs of recovery. Its status has been elevated regionally and internationally.

Despite the global economic turmoil, he said, Vietnamese nationals abroad have strengthened unity, lived stable lives, integrated well into the local communities and contributed to the homeland.

The Party and State consider overseas Vietnamese an inseparable part of the nation and appreciate their contributions to the homeland, Mr Triet affirmed.

He said many Vietnamese intellectuals have boosted Vietnam’s profile in the country of their residence. Many of them have returned and taken part in cooperation projects in science, technology, education, culture and social affairs while lending a helping hand to their compatriots affected by natural disasters and epidemics.

He said that over the past years, work related to overseas Vietnamese has achieved encouraging results and has been welcomed by the communities worldwide. He assured the participants that the Party and State will continue to offer incentives to create favourable conditions for Vietnamese nationals to return and build the homeland.

He expressed his belief that overseas Vietnamese will continue to create an important source of strength to help the nation make greater achievements in 2010 – the last year of the five-year development plan.

Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Thanh Son said his ministry will work closer together with relevant agencies to live up to the overseas communities’ expectations.

About 1,000 Vietnamese nationals, including those from the US, Australia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Norway, Thailand and Laos, attended the event hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Hanoi Municipal People’s Committee.

Earlier the same day, they offered incense at the Thang Long Royal Citadel.

VietNamNet/VOV