Half of the Vietnamese community in the European country have been granted Swiss citizenship but still keep their Vietnamese nationality because Swiss law allows dual citizenship as does Vietnam.

Addressing the meeting, Mr Triet hailed the overseas Vietnamese people’s efforts to remain united, do business and integrate into local society, contributing to the development of their homeland.

He underlined that Vietnam always extends a welcoming hand to overseas Vietnamese who want to return home and help build the country. “When you come back, remember to bring along your children, and your knowledge, which is essential for the country’s development,” said the President to the Vietnamese expatriates.

More and more Vietnamese expatriates are returning to their homeland, many of them on the lookout for trade and investment opportunities. Quite a few of these expatriates are academics who have actively taught at Vietnamese educational establishments and helped Vietnamese students to study abroad.

President Triet asked the Vietnamese embassy in Switzerland to create the best possible conditions for overseas Vietnamese to participate in the process of national construction. He called on the Vietnamese community in Switzerland to preserve their national identity by teaching their children Vietnamese and maintaining their traditional customs.