Deputy Foreign Minister and Chairman of the State Committee for OV Affairs Pham Quang Hieu.

Talking to the press, he said 2022 was the first year of the implementation of the Politburo’s Conclusion 12-KL/TW on OV affairs in the new context and the Government’s Resolution 169-NQ/CP on the continued promotion of OV-related tasks for 2021 - 2026.

Hieu noted the committee and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) have coordinated with ministries, central agencies, and localities to continue stepping up the work. These efforts will help strengthen the bonds between OVs and the homeland and bring into play the strength of the great national solidarity to serve national development.

He highlighted outstanding results in the research and proposals of policies matching the new situation, as well as effective mass mobilisation work which persuaded more and more expatriates to contribute their economic, intellectual, and “soft” resources to the homeland.

Assistance for Vietnamese communities abroad has also been carried out in an active and timely manner, further reflecting the Party and State’s care and sense of responsibility towards the communities.

In addition, the MoFA has collected OVs’ opinions about legal documents on various aspects such as nationality, housing, landing, investment, and labour, and worked with relevant authorities to revise legal rules so as to better guarantee OVs’ interests when they return to visit relatives, make investment, and do business, the official noted.

This year, efforts will be accelerated to carry out Conclusion 12 and Resolution 169, the Deputy FM went on.

In particular, the 20-year implementation of the 9th-tenure Politburo’s Resolution 36-NQ/TW on OV affairs will be reviewed to set up orientations for the time ahead. This resolution sets the viewpoint that OVs form an integral part of the Vietnamese people, and is considered the lodestar for the Party, State, ministries, and localities to carry out tasks related to OV affairs.

Relevant agencies will continue to coordinate to overhaul legal documents on OV affairs in a way that creates more favourable conditions for expatriates to return to the homeland to live, study, work, and make investments. Policies and measures will be perfected to capitalise on resources from OVs more strongly. Authorities will also increase collecting OVs’ opinions to propose appropriate policies, according to the Deputy Minister.

Enhancing solidarity between people in the homeland and OVs is always identified as an important foundation, and an impetus for the implementation of OV-related tasks. Therefore, the reinforcement of solidarity is to be stepped up via concrete programmes and projects in 2023.

He said the conservation of the Vietnamese language and cultural traditions among OV communities will also receive more attention to strengthen patriotism among expatriates.

Besides, general and long-term measures will be promoted to assist OVs facing difficulties.

The State committee will keep working with ministries and science organisations connected to OVs to gather opinions about Vietnam’s socio-economic development. This will serve to fine-tune mechanisms and policies for attracting OV experts, intellectuals, investors, and technology transfer.

Communications will also be increased and reformed while coordination mechanisms will be improved to swiftly and opportunely respond to and refute wrongful arguments and distortions by reactionary and hostile forces, Hieu noted.