The achievements of Vietnam over the last year were partly attributable to the contribution of the Vietnamese expatriates who are an inseparable part of the nation, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Pham Binh Minh stated at a meeting with overseas fellow nationals.

Vice State President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh welcomes delegations attending the Homeland Spring 2020. Photo: VGP.

“The Party and State always consider the Vietnamese diaspora an inseparable part of and an important resource of the Vietnamese nation. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Vietnamese communities overseas will closely work together to promote the role and status of Vietnam globally,” said the Deputy Prime Minister at the inauguration of Homeland Spring, an annual artistic function held to welcome overseas Vietnamese who return home for the Lunar New Year festival.

This year's Homeland Spring program marked the participation of a record high number of overseas Vietnamese, around 1,500 people from 30 nations and territories across the world.

Upon returning home, the delegation of the Vietnamese expats was hosted by Vice State President Dang Thi Ngoc Thinh.

Thinh highlighted the contribution of the fellow nationals living abroad over the last sixty years since the arrival of the first batch of a thousand of them to the home country and took part in the national independence wars and construction and who were welcomed by President Ho Chi Minh.

An art program was held to welcome Vietnamese expatriates returning Vietnam to celebrate Tet. Photo: Vietnam News Agency.

At the event, Vietnam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc urged overseas Vietnamese to preserve the mother tongue as well as the country’s cultural traditions in their families and communities, especially the young generation.

He appreciated the Vietnamese’s activities held abroad and acknowledged their contribution to the country from thousands of far away which mean to keep close touch with their homeland. 

Homeland Spring is an annual event held to celebrate the homecoming of overseas Vietnamese to celebrate Tet holiday.

There are around 4.5 million overseas Vietnamese living and working at over 110 countries and territories around the world. Of the amount, over 500,000 people are experts of upper degrees, several of them play leading role in some fields of science, technology, economy, finance, among others, cited by Ministry of Foreign Affair.