Vietnamese welcome Lunar New Year globally

At the February 3 gathering in the Belarusian capital Minsk, expatriate Vietnamese residents and students welcomed the New Year with art programs.

The Vietnamese embassy awarded certificates of merit and gifts recognising the academic achievements of outstanding students and postgraduates as well as notable contributions to the community in 2013.

On January 25–26, representatives from diplomatic agencies joined Slovakian friends and overseas Vietnamese in Bratislava at a ceremony marking Tet’s arrival.

Vietnamese Ambassador to Slovakia Nguyen Xuan Luu summarised Vietnam’s recent socio-economic achievements, highlighting bilateral trade turnover has tripled from US$127 million in 2010 to US$406 million in 2013.

Both nations convened an intergovernmental committee in Hanoi in April 2013 to plan celebrations for the 65^th anniversary of their diplomatic ties.

The ambassador acknowledged the overseas Vietnamese community’s business tenacity and successful local integration.

Expatriate entrepreneurs have simultaneously given back to the homeland and advanced Vietnamese-Slovakian relations.

The more than 300 attendees enjoyed traditional dishes and performances by  Embassy staff and second-generation members of the community. 

Around 500 overseas Vietnamese, students, and Vietnamese Embassy staff in the Netherlands celebrated Tet together on January 25.

Vietnamese Ambassador to the Netherlands Nguyen Van Doan briefed those in attendance on the country’s socio-economic achievements and 2013’s highlights in Vietnam-Netherlands relations.

He thanked overseas Vietnamese for their patriotism and their diplomatic contributions, urging them to tighten the bonds of community solidarity.

The Vietnamese Consulate General in the Cambodian city Sihanoukville hosted a similar Tet celebration for expatriate Vietnamese.

Consul General Ho Phat reviewed Vietnam’s year of achievements in politics, economics, foreign affairs, national defence, and Vietnam-Cambodia cooperation.

He noted the joint commemorations of the 35^th anniversary of the southwestern border victory over the Pol Pot regime. Inter-locality relations across the Vietnam-Cambodia border have been consolidated through programmes in trade, tourism, agriculture, training, information exchange, security, and marine patrols.

Consul General Phat praised the Vietnamese Cambodian Association for helping expatriates enjoy stability, obey Cambodian law, teach their children Vietnamese, and raise funds for flood victims back home.