 |
| The first Congress held in 2016 (Photo: VNA) |
Attending the conference, in addition to members of the Executive Committee and representatives of member associations, were also Vietnamese Ambassadors to the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Austria and Belgium.
The conference agreed to hold the 2nd Congress in October 2022 in Prague in the Czech Republic, and at the same time asked the members to quickly consolidate the organization and nominate personnel to the Executive Committee for the new term.
Speaking at the conference, Mr. Hoang Dinh Thang, President of the Union of Overseas Vietnamese Associations, said that the Vietnamese associations in each country have different characteristics and organizations, but they all have one thing in common, which is looking towards the homeland and preserving the national cultural traditions. Therefore, in the next term, the Union of Overseas Vietnamese Associations should continue to promote its role as a channel for gathering Vietnamese people across Europe.
The Ambassadors attending the conference also expressed their high interest in the preparation for the 2nd Congress and said they would actively mobilize the Vietnamese community in other countries to support the Union's activities.
The Union was established in 2016 with an executive board consisting of 30 members from 18 European countries. In 6 years of operation, the Union has successfully coordinated to organize regional community activities.
Notably, during the most complicated time of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Union called on the community to join hands to donate finance, equipment and medical supplies to send to Vietnam, as well as to support the local governments fighting the pandemic.
As the conflict in Ukraine broke out, forcing overseas Vietnamese there to evacuate to other countries, Overseas Vietnamese Associations that are members of the Union played an important role in supporting Vietnamese people from Ukraine to quickly overcome difficulties to stabilize life.
These practical results are the driving force for the Union to continue promoting its role in connecting overseas Vietnamese across Europe./.