Speaking at the event, Ms. Anjuska Weil, Head of the association, reviewed the activities of the association over the past time, especially the establishment of Binh Minh school, the first school teaching Vietnamese language in Switzerland for Vietnamese origin students living in Zurich city.
After more than a year of operation, Binh Minh school has achieved initial positive results.
She hoped that 30 students at the school will contribute to preserving Vietnamese language and culture among Vietnamese-origin people in Switzerland.
In addition, the association has also actively organized and carried out exchange and charitable programs towards Vietnamese people, especially the visit to Vietnam by eight members in October 2017.
On this occasion, members of the association transferred USD3,000 as part of the association’s small credit program to help elderly people facing difficulty in Vietnam’s Hue city.
Moreover, on “Solidarity Day” in November 2017, a traditional event of the association, over CHF6,000 was raised to support Agent Orange/Dioxin victims and people impacted by floods and storms in Vietnam. The association usually collaborates with Vietnam les Enfants de la Dioxine (VNED) to organize projects to support Vietnamese Agent Orange/Dioxin victims, especially children.
Furthermore, it has also cooperated with the Vietnamese Embassy to organize friendly and community activities.
At the meeting, Vietnamese Ambassador to Switzerland Pham Hai Bang reviewed notable situations at the East Sea over the past time as well as Vietnam’s efforts in maintaining peace in the region, peacefully resolving disputes based on the international law.
The meeting also spent a large time to meet Ms. Tran To Nga, a Vietnamese Agent Orange/Dioxin victim with French nationality. She is the plaintiff to sue 26 American chemical companies, which had participated in the production and provision of Agent Orange/Dioxin to the US army to use in the war in Vietnam.
Ms. Tran To Nga said that the lawsuit has been ongoing for over three years, and it has received support and attention not only in Vietnam and France, but in many countries in the world.
The Switzerland - Vietnam Association, established in 1982, gathers hundreds of Swiss people at various ages interested in Vietnam. At present, the association has more than 100 members./.