The conferment was made at a ceremony held in Prague on November 15 to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the association. The event saw the participation of Vietnamese and Czech officials and over 400 overseas Vietnamese in the Czech Republic.
Speaking at the event, Vice President Xuan said that the Vietnamese community abroad, including those in the Czech Republic, has made important contributions to national construction and development, and always looks towards the homeland.
Over the past 25 years, the Vietnamese Association in the Czech Republic has developed strongly, operated effectively, connected overseas Vietnamese with the homeland. It has contributed to promoting the image of the land and people of Vietnam to Czech people, nurturing the love for the homeland in the community, especially among the young generation, and affirming the position and prestige of the Vietnamese people, Xuan said.
She said she hopes the community will continue to promote its role and responsibility, make more contributions to the host country's socio-economic development, stay united and preserve national cultural identity, and serve as a bridge for friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
President of the Senate of the Czech Republic Milos Vystrcil acknowledged contributions of the Vietnamese community to the Czech Republic and Vietnam. He described that fact that hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese have studied in the European country as an important foundation for both sides to build and further develop their relationship, towards upgrading bilateral relations to a new level.
Vice-President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Republic Karel Havlicek underscored the increasing role of Vietnamese people in the country, as well as the development of the Vietnamese community in recent times, especially many individuals who have made contributions to the fields of economics, science, health, education, and public administration.
On this occasion, the association presented 600 million VND (over 23,600 USD) that the Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic donated to help those affected by recent Typhoon Yagi in the homeland. So far, they have donated and sent more than 5.7 billion VND to the storm-affected people in Vietnam.
