Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attends Forum of Overseas Vietnamese Intellectuals and Experts

On August 22, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh attended and remarked at the opening session of the 4th World Conference of Overseas Vietnamese and Forum of Overseas Vietnamese Intellectuals and Experts. 

The events also see the attendance of leaders from Central ministries, departments and agencies as well as 400 overseas Vietnamese from 40 countries and territories. 

The Conference and Forum will be held in Hanoi from August 21-24. The delegates observed a minute of silence in tribute to the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, an exceptional leader of our Party and State, before the plenary session of the Conference.

The Conference is being held at the same time as the nation is making a concerted effort to accomplish the objectives outlined in the 13rd Party Congress Resolution, according to Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son during the opening session. The objective is to elevate our nation to a high-income, developed nation by 2030 and a developing nation with a modern industrial base by 2045. The significant contributions of over 6 million Vietnamese residing abroad are essential for achieving of these goals.

Consequently, the theme of this year's Conference is "Overseas Vietnamese Joining Hands to Realize the Aspiration of National Development," which includes a variety of novel elements and expectations. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in partnership with relevant agencies, convened the Forum of Overseas Vietnamese Intellectuals and Experts for the first time within the Conference framework.

The Minister noted that this initiative came directly from Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh during his official visits to Australia and New Zealand in March this year, demonstrating the Prime Minister's deep concern for the affairs of overseas Vietnamese.

The Minister aspires for the 4th Conference to be a "Dien Hong Conference," which will concentrate on collective intelligence, enhance national solidarity, and leverage the resources, potential, and strengths of overseas Vietnamese for the country's development. The conference will focus on the 2024 Forum of Vietnamese Intellectuals and Experts Abroad. This will allow our fellow citizens, both domestically and internationally, to collaborate in the pursuit of a prosperous and content nation.

The Global Overseas Vietnamese Conference was conducted on three previous occasions, in 2009, 2012, and 2016, where over 2,000 overseas delegates from a variety of countries and territories, as well as representatives of numerous central and municipal agencies throughout the country, participated directly.

The Minister noted that, through three editions, the Conference has provided a forum for in-depth exchanges between overseas Vietnamese and the homeland on strategic issues in nation-building and defense, as well as matters related to the overseas Vietnamese community. It has truly become a "Dien Hong Conference" for overseas Vietnamese. Valuable opinions and numerous policy recommendations from overseas Vietnamese have been received by domestic authorities, studied, and transformed into policies and legal regulations.

The world, regional situations, and the overseas Vietnamese community have experienced substantial changes since the 3rd Conference in 2016. The community has experienced significant development in terms of both quality and quantity. In 2016, there were approximately 4.5 million individuals residing and working in 109 countries and territories. Currently, there are over 6 million individuals residing and working in 130 countries and territories. Approximately 10% of them possess a university degree or higher, which is equivalent to 600,000 people.

Associations have been established in the majority of Vietnamese communities. Vietnamese intellectual organizations, professional groups, and business associations frequently participate in activities that are connected to the homeland, thereby establishing a broad network that connects Vietnamese individuals both domestically and internationally.

The Vietnamese community that resides abroad is progressively asserting its influence and status within their respective communities. Many Vietnamese entrepreneurs are listed among the world's billionaires, and numerous experts, intellectuals, and artists of Vietnamese descent have been honored with international awards. Additionally, some individuals of Vietnamese descent have deeply integrated into the political systems of their host countries at various levels. Furthermore, the Vietnamese community in the United States acts as a bridge, actively and proactively promoting multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and their host countries.

The expatriate Vietnamese community has emerged as a critical asset in the nation's development process. The total quantity of remittances sent back to Vietnam has surpassed 200 billion USD over the past 30 years, which is equivalent to the disbursed foreign direct investment during the same period. Thousands of enterprises were funded by Vietnamese expatriates, and by the end of 2023, overseas Vietnamese had invested in 421 foreign direct investment ventures with a total registered capital of 1.72 billion USD.

* The 4 Global Overseas Vietnamese Conference and the Forum of Overseas Vietnamese Intellectuals and Experts are organized by the Organizing Committee to continue the promotion of the implementation of documents from the 13th Party Congress, Resolution 36, Directive 45, and Conclusion 12 of the Politburo regarding overseas Vietnamese affairs. The conference will also evaluate the outcomes of Resolution 36's implementation over the past two decades, which will serve as a foundation for the Party's policy on overseas Vietnamese affairs at the 14th Party Congress.

Additionally, the conference is designed to improve the dissemination of the Party's guidelines, policies, and laws of the State regarding overseas Vietnamese; and establish a platform for domestic agencies to comprehend the circumstances, aspirations, and obstacles encountered by overseas Vietnamese, thereby bolstering their efforts to provide care and support.

The discussion of global and regional development trends (digital transformation, ecological development, circular economy, innovation...), challenges and opportunities for Vietnam, and the potential contributions of overseas Vietnamese to national development will be a particularly prominent focus of this year's Forum. Additionally, it will contribute to the development of the National Innovation Network.

The Conference, which was held along with the 20th anniversary of the implementation of Resolution 36 of the Politburo on overseas Vietnamese affairs, has garnered substantial interest and support from the overseas Vietnamese community.