During the visit, the delegation attended the Great National Unity Festival and Vietnamese Cultural Day in Europe 2026; the 3rd Congress of the Union of Vietnamese Associations in Europe for the 2026-2031 term, and the ceremony marking the 10th anniversary of the Union's establishment. The delegation also visited the Sapa Vietnamese Language Centre and Vinh Nghiem Pagoda, and met with the Union of Vietnamese Business Associations in Europe.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Great National Unity Festival and Vietnamese Cultural Day in Europe 2026, Ha Thi Nga, Party Central Committee Member, Vice President and Secretary-General of the Central Committee of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front, said that holding the Great National Unity Festival in Europe this time was of great significance, helping to expand the space for great national unity and strengthen the bonds between Vietnamese people in Europe, their homeland and country, and Vietnamese communities around the world.
She expressed her hope that overseas Vietnamese in Europe would continue to strengthen solidarity, enhance connectivity, and promote the role of associations in people-to-people diplomacy and integration, as well as in preserving the Vietnamese language and passing on national cultural identity to younger generations. She also called on them to make greater use of their intellectual resources in contributing to the development of their homeland and country.
According to Hoang Dinh Thang, President of the Union of Vietnamese Associations in Europe and head of the organising committee, the Great National Unity Festival and Vietnamese Cultural Day in Europe 2026 had received enthusiastic support from large numbers of Vietnamese people across Europe. The event provided an opportunity for people to meet, strengthen bonds of solidarity, and introduce international friends to Vietnamese music, traditional arts, the ao dai and Vietnamese cuisine. It also helped strengthen connections, build common strength and enhance the position of Vietnamese communities in European countries.
Nguyen Trung Kien, Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, expressed his confidence that the Great National Unity Festival would continue to be held and spread to more cities and countries in Europe and other regions around the world.
"Unity in diversity will create greater strength for the community to develop, preserve its culture, affirm its standing, and earn the respect of the host societies," emphasised Nguyen Trung Kien, Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese.
The third Congress of the Union of Vietnamese Associations in Europe for the 2026-2031 term took place in the Czech Republic on October 31 and November 1, with the participation of more than 200 delegates representing member associations in 24 countries across Europe, together with five collective members of the Union of Vietnamese Associations in Europe.
The Congress elected a new Executive Committee comprising 74 members. Hoang Dinh Thang was re-elected as President of the Union of Vietnamese Associations in Europe for the 2026-2031 term. Six Vice Presidents and eight members of the Standing Committee were also elected.
Congratulating the congress on its success, Nguyen Trung Kien praised the achievements of the Union of Vietnamese Associations in Europe, particularly since its second Congress. He noted that the union had expanded its membership and established itself as a common forum for associations to exchange experience, strengthen connections and coordinate diverse community activities at national and regional levels.
The union had also promoted solidarity and addressed key community issues, including legal awareness improvement, integration, cultural preservation, taking care of religious and spiritual life, Vietnamese language teaching for younger generations, organising charitable activities supporting people in Viet Nam, and the promotion of friendly cooperation between Viet Nam and European countries.
Noting that Viet Nam was entering a new stage of development, with the ambition of building a peaceful, independent, prosperous, strong, civilised, and happy country, Nguyen Trung Kien called on the union to continue supporting the community and strengthening its organisations, while enhancing connections among intellectuals, experts, businesspeople, and younger generations of Vietnamese origin. He also encouraged the sharing of experience and the transfer of knowledge and technology, alongside promoting innovation and effective development models in Viet Nam.
As part of the working visit in the Czech Republic, the delegation from the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese visited the Sapa Vietnamese Language Centre, which was the first of its kind to be established and is now one of the seven well-known Vietnamese language centres in the Czech Republic.
On this occasion, the delegation presented Vietnamese-language books to the Sapa Vietnamese Language Centre, helping to expand its learning materials and encourage students in their studies.
In addition, the delegation visited Vinh Nghiem Pagoda at the Sapa Trade Centre in Prague. The pagoda is one of 22 Buddhist places of worship in the Czech Republic. It was inaugurated in 2008.
Nguyen Trung Kien expressed his hope that the pagoda would continue to spread the positive values of Buddhism within the overseas Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic, serving as a source of spiritual support, particularly by helping younger generations preserve their Vietnamese identity and strengthen their ties with their national roots.
The working delegation held a meeting with the Union of Vietnamese Business Associations in Europe. Participants expressed pride in Viet Nam’s development achievements in recent years and voiced their support for the Party and State’s policies towards overseas Vietnamese. They also hoped that investment and business policies across various sectors would become increasingly open and favourable in the future.
The Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, expressed his appreciation for the contributions made by Vietnamese entrepreneurs and businesses in Europe. He also shared concerns about the transfer of businesses to the next generation and affirmed that the committee stood ready to support connection and the implementation of specific activities in preparation for the 2027 Viet Nam Business Forum in Europe.
During the meetings, Chairman Nguyen Trung Kien extended a warm invitation to the Vietnamese community to attend the 5th World Conference of Overseas Vietnamese, scheduled to take place in early December 2026.
