(VOVworld) - The second conference of overseas Vietnamese opened in Ho Chi Minh City Thursday with 1,000 representatives from overseas associations and communities participating. The conference, themed “Vision to 2020 – the Overseas Vietnamese Community’s Integration and Development with the Nation”, is organised by the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Addressing the function, Poliburo member Le Hong Anh said that the meeting is a vivid manifestation for the will and aspiration of more than 4 million OVs, who are uniting for the goal of building a strong community and looking towards the homeland. Hong Anh said ‘Many overseas Vietnamese have positively contributed to the Party and Government’s policies on socio-economic development and the protection of national sovereignty. The contributions are the token of overseas Vietnamese and affirm the Vietnamese Government’s viewpoint that overseas Vietnamese are an inseparable part and valuable financial and intellectual resources for Vietnam’s industrialization and modernization and a key bridging Vietnam and other countries.’

Since the first conference in 2009, many guidelines and policies have been issued or revised to meet OVs’ vital interests. Hong Anh called fore more efforts in preserving and upholding cultural identities and national traditions, including maintaining Vietnamese language among OVs. He suggested the conference make a full assessment on the situation and development trend of the OV community as well as the efficiency of guidelines and policies for them, thus serving the building of immediate and long-term programmes for Vietnamese living abroad. Johnathan Hanh Nguyen, a Vietnamese living in the Philippines, put forward ‘The Government and policymakers should review the implementation of policies to make appropriate adjustment to attract the resources of overseas entrepreneurs and intellectuals. Vietnam should promote its administrative reforms and update overseas Vietnamese with information on investment policies. Programs should be designed to unite domestic and overseas entrepreneurs and intellectuals to fully tap their potential.’

Among the participants are intellectuals, entrepreneurs, artists, social activists, religious followers, and students. Dinh Viet Tu from the US says ‘When I return to Vietnam, I feel joyful and healthy. I particularly feel secure and confident when I hear plans for the country’s future and its development orientations. This is my second time at such an event. Compared to the first conference in Hanoi, this one seems to be organized more thoroughly and impressively. I want to do something to bring more Overseas Vietnamese to the homeland, change their way of thinking about the motherland, and start contributing to it. I’m very interested in the issues that have been discussed at this conference. ’

Following the opening ceremony, four symposiums took place, covering topics on integration and economic development, cultural identity and national traditions, overseas Vietnamese academics with industrialisation and modernization, and overseas entrepreneurs working for the future of communities and country. As part of the event, the delegates will join exchanges at several economic and cultural establishments in Ho Chi Minh City and southeastern provinces.