Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong addresses the Homeland Spring 2019. (Photo: LDO)
Warmly welcoming overseas Vietnamese and those who are living, working or studying abroad and cannot return home for Tet, with deep affection and wishes for a happy New Year, the Party and State leader quoted President Ho Chi Minh’s saying that the fatherland and Government always remember with love overseas Vietnamese like parents love their children who are absent from home, confirming that it is the affection among family members.
He noted that, looking back over 2018, although the world and the country met with many difficulties and challenges, under the right leadership of the Party and the State, Vietnam continued to develop, overcome all difficulties and achieve many encouraging and comprehensive results in most areas, leaving good impressions, creating new momentum and motivation for fulfilling all objectives and tasks in 2019 and the whole 5 years of 2016 - 2020.
It is not accidental that an atmosphere of excitement and confidence in the leadership of the Party and the State, the victory of the cause of national renewal, construction and defense, continues to spread widely throughout the country, which is recognized by international friends.
The macro economy continues to be stable, creating an important foundation to implement the model of growth renewal in connection with economic restructuring, promoting the development of sectors and areas. The scale of the economy is expanded and the quality is raised.
Economic growth in 2018 reached 7.08%, which was the highest increase since 2008. People's living conditions continue to improve; the social and political situation is stable; defense and security are strengthened; national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity is maintained.
The achievements in foreign affairs make an important contribution to enhancing Vietnam's position in the international arena, including the reinforcement of relations with neighboring countries and major partners.
Following the success of the 2017 APEC Year, last year, the National Assembly of Vietnam, with 100% of votes in favour, agreed to adopt a resolution approving the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), contributing to deepen the nation’s international integration, thus serving its development.
In terms of multilateral foreign affairs, Vietnam successfully organized many important international conferences, such as the 26th Annual Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum (APPF-26) and the sixth Greater Mekong Sub-Region Summit (GMS-6). In particular, the World Economic Forum on ASEAN was considered the most successful regional forum during the 27 years of the World Economic Forum (WEF) held in the region.
Science - technology and culture, education and sports also reported important imprints, contributing to creating significant changes in innovation of science - technology and enriching and heightening people’s cultural and spiritual life.
Especially, with the high determination of the Party, the State and the people, last year, the fight against corruption, bureaucracy, wastefulness and negative phenomena was strongly promoted.
Many large and complicated corruption and economic cases were discovered, investigated and strictly dealt with. Many officials, including senior, incumbent or retired officers, who committed wrongdoings, were dealt with resolutely and lawfully, actions which were praised and supported by officials, Party members and people inside and outside the country.
To achieve the above results, first of all, is because the Party's opinion is in line with the people's hearts, with great unity and consensus, the efforts of the whole political system, of society, including the valuable and very important contribution of the overseas Vietnamese community who are living, working or studying abroad.
The active and comprehensive advocacy and support solutions of the Party and State have attracted considerable economic and intellectual resources of more than 4.5 million Vietnamese people living, studying or working in over 110 countries and territories to serve the country's development.
In recent years, on average, about 300-500 overseas Vietnamese intellectuals return home every year, who participate in scientific and technological, educational and training activities, contributing many deep and practical opinions in the development of the country, building a start-up ecosystem, improving the quality of human resources and developing domestic technology.
I am very moved to know that many patriotic people, intellectuals and scientists all over the world, despite their high age, still work hard to contribute to the nation’s development and its international cooperation in science, and training many scientists for the homeland.
Many organized activities of intellectuals abroad in many different industries and economic sectors have also contributed practically to the economic development of the country.
Many experts and intellectuals have directly worked on invitations or have specific cooperation programs with universities, research institutions, high-tech parks and economic establishments.
The Party and State of Vietnam respect and appreciate the advice and consultancy of overseas Vietnamese scientists to help the country quickly approach the world's advanced level of science and technology, especially in the context of the fourth Industrial Revolution.
In terms of trade and investment, many overseas Vietnamese entrepreneurs, associations and networks have been actively bringing Vietnamese goods to the world market, while bringing foreign businesses and multi-national companies to invest, produce and do business in Vietnam.
In 2018, the number of remittances sent to the country reached nearly USD16 billion, an increase of more than 100 times compared to 1993.
Notably, investment from overseas remittance in recent years with about 3,000 projects focused on production and business activities, contributing to promoting economic development and improving people's living standards, first among families who receive the remittance.
Overseas Vietnamese community is also an important "catalyst" for the successes of our people's diplomatic activities in the renewal process. Through cultural and religious exchanges, overseas Vietnamese have been contributing to preserving the identity and promoting national cultural values, building the Vietnamese image abroad, promoting, gaining the love of friends from other countries, contributing to enhancing Vietnam's position on the international arena.
The honorable and proud contributions of our overseas Vietnamese to the homeland derive from the passionate patriotism of every Vietnamese, which has become a precious tradition of the Vietnamese nation. The Vietnamese Party, State and people are always sympathetic to overseas Vietnamese, sharing their difficulties and hardships living in foreign countries, and also believing that our Vietnamese people, wherever they go and whatever they do, always preserve and pass on to their younger generations the Vietnamese traditions of remembering about their roots, loving their homeland, and uniting together.
In his speech, the Vietnamese Party and State leader confirmed the great strength made by national solidarity, which he said he believed would make favourable conditions for overseas Vietnamese to join hands during the renewal process, thus overcoming every difficulty, taking advantage of opportunities, together building a bright future and a Vietnamese nation of “rich people, a strong, democratic, equitable and advanced nation.”
At the end of his speech, he wished overseas Vietnamese good health, happiness and success./.