The year 2023 marks a special milestone in the relationship between Vietnam and France when the two countries celebrate the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic ties and the 10th anniversary of their strategic partnership.

A ceremony to launch a TV programme “Chao Tieng Viet” (Hello Vietnamese language) and a contest to seek ambassadors of Vietnamese language aboard was held in Hanoi on March 31 by the Vietnam Education Publishing House, Foreign Affairs Ministry’s State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs and Vietnam Television (VTV).

“Vietnamese people going abroad, wherever they are, they have to make twice or three times as much effort as the natives to stabilise and develop their lives. Their lives are hard, so they need a spiritual fulcrum. Homeland is a great spiritual fulcrum for them”, Chairman of Vietnamese Association in Russia Do Xuan Hoang excitedly started his story.

Overseas Vietnamese people worldwide have been celebrating the Lunar New Year ( Tet ) at gatherings held in their host countries as the biggest traditional festival for Vietnamese is nearing.

The Vietnamese Intellectual Society (VIS) in the UK and Ireland on January 14 held an annual meeting to review its performance last year and a traditional Lunar New Year celebration for Vietnamese expatriates.

Ho Chi Minh City held a get-together on January 7 for outstanding overseas Vietnamese who return home to welcome the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) – Vietnam’s biggest national festival.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Cambodia held a Tet (Lunar New Year) gathering with representatives of Vietnamese people and businesses there in Phnom Penh on January 6.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Hieu suggested increasing comprehensive, long-term measures to support overseas Vietnamese, especially those in extremely disadvantaged areas, while addressing a thematic conference in Hanoi on November 29.