Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on February 4 called for greater national unity among Vietnamese people living inside and outside the country to generate a source of combined strength to move Vietnam forward. 

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc has extended best wishes to all Vietnamese nationals living
overseas who cannot return to the homeland for the Tet holiday due to COVID-19.
(Photo: VGP).

In a video clip to the annual Homeland Spring program for overseas Vietnamese, Phuc extended his best wishes to approximately 5.3 million Vietnamese nationals living abroad most of whom cannot return to the homeland for the coming traditional Lunar New Year (Tet) holiday due to the impact of the COVID-19.

Our Vietnamese people, no matter where they live, are part and parcel of the fatherland, he reiterated.

The PM recalled decisions adopted at the freshly-concluded National Party Congress which he said will help fully mobilise and exploit all the nation’s resources for stronger development to turn Vietnam into a rich and powerful nation.

According to the PM, the National Party Congress reviewed the achievements of 35 years of the Doi Moi (Renewal) process, and Vietnam’s efforts to overcome difficulties during the past five years, especially in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic attacked the nation.

“But under the leadership of the Party, we have successfully implemented the ‘dual goal’ of epidemic prevention and economic recovery, thereby securing economic growth, maintaining social stability and taking care of people’s lives,” said Phuc.

“While the COVID-19 pandemic dealt a heavy blow to many economies worldwide in 2020, Vietnam enjoyed a positive growth rate of nearly 3%; import-export turnover reached US$540 billion; trade surplus was nearly US$20 billion. Our country has over 33,000 FDI operational projects capitalized at US$385 billion.”

In 2020, Phuc said Vietnam fulfilled its roles as the President of the Association of the Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the ASEAN Inter-parliamentary Assembly (AIPA), as well as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Top Vietnamese leaders took part in and put forward initiatives at various multilateral forums such as the United Nations, the G-20 summit, OECD and WHO meetings.

Never before has Vietnam secured high international position and reputation as it has today, said Phuc, citing conclusions of the Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong at the recent National Party Congress.

He affirmed that such achievements could not be made without considerable contributions by Vietnamese people living overseas who have remitted US$75 billion to the homeland for national development during the past five years. Despite difficulties, Vietnamese national overseas raised nearly VND80 billion for their compatriots in flood-ravaged regions and in support of the COVID-19 fight.

“The Party and State are proud and grateful for your contributions and support,” said Phuc.  

He called on overseas Vietnamese to continue upholding the tradition of great national unity to work alongside their compatriots in the homeland so as to further elevate the image of Vietnam in the international arena.

He expressed his hope the COVID-19 pandemic will be soon contained globally so that more and more Vietnamese nationals living abroad will be able to return to the homeland for the Tet holiday next year, as opposed to nearly 90,000 this year.

This year’s Homeland Spring program took place in Hanoi and was broadcast live by Vietnam Television.