1000 people will be invited to a special gala to welcome the Lunar New Year 2011, held by the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs on January 28 in Hanoi.

The gala will have the participation of ambassadors and chief representatives of foreign diplomatic agencies in Vietnam, overseas Vietnamese and Vietnamese officials.

The event will take place at the Thang Long royal citadel, and will consist of two parts: the incense offering ceremony at the Kinh Thien palace and the gala at night, which will be aired live on VTV1 and VTV4 channels.

The gala is an annual event for overseas Vietnamese every New Year. This year the gala is also held to celebrate the 11^th National Party Congress.

After the lunar New Year, the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs will organize many activities for overseas Vietnamese, including the trips to the Hung Kings’ Temple for outstanding overseas Vietnamese, the Summer Camp for young overseas Vietnamese, the International Festival for Young Overseas Vietnamese in Berlin, Germany, and others.

In 2011, the committee will be the advisor to the government in legalizing policies to attract investment of overseas Vietnamese and overseas Vietnamese experts.

Of more than 4 million overseas Vietnamese, there are over 400,000 are experts, scientists, researchers, etc. in developed countries. Vietnam needs policies to attract this source of brainpower to develop the country, said Deputy Foreign Minister and chief of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs Nguyen Thanh Son.

Linh Thu