Canberra (VNA) – The Vietnamese Embassies in Australia and Italy and the Vietnamese Consulate General in Vladivostok, Russia, held gatherings with the local Vietnamesecommunities ahead of the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival on February 7.
Talking via the format of videoconference, Vietnamese Ambassadorto Australia Nguyen Tat Thanh affirmed that the Vietnamese Embassy andConsulate Generals will continue to act as “common houses” and partner with theoverseas Vietnamese (OVs) in the country.
He said with delight that Vietnam and Australia arecarrying out projects within the framework of the strategic partnership on the pillarsof politics, economy and science-technology. The two countries have increasinglyunderstood, trusted and respected each other, Thanh said.
The ambassador expressed his belief that bilateral ties willkeep growing on the back of important policies recently adopted at the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam.
According to the diplomat, Vietnam’s vision to become adeveloped industrialised nation by 2045 will be a turning point for national developmentand bring trust to all Vietnamese citizens at home and abroad.
Member of the Vietnam Fatherland Front CentralCommittee and Chairman of the Vietnamese Business Association in Australia TranBa Phuc said OVs are delighted with Vietnam’s socio-economic achievementsover the past five years, as well as the strong development of Vietnam –Australia ties.
Talking onlinewith OVs in Italy, the Republic of Cyprus and the Republic of Malta,Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Thi Bich Hue said Vietnam became aspotlight in the region and the world in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemiclast year, with its economic growth among the world’s highest.
She added thatVietnam well performed its role as ASEAN Chair and a non-permanentmember of the United Nations Security Council in 2020 with many initiatives beinghighly welcomed, thus improving its position on the international arena.
At therecently-closed 13th National Party Congress, a new leadership forthe next five years was elected and orientations for national development in the coming period wereoutlined, she said.
Hue also hailedthe Vietnamese community in Italy, Cyprus and Malta for offering support to local residents hit by flooding in Vietnam's central region last year.
The diplomat also affirmed the determination of Vietnamese authorities at all levels in the fight againstthe pandemic.
In Russia,Vietnamese Consul General Nguyen Hoang Viet met a team of volunteers who have supported the community in the fight against COVID-19 in Primorye province. They are mainly students of the Far EasternFederal University and the Nevelskoy Maritime State University.
Since thepandemic broke out, about 400 Vietnamese people in the region have tested positive for coronavirusSARS-CoV-2, including two deaths.
With thesupport of the volunteers, almost infected cases in Primorye have been given accessto medical services, contributing to protecting their health and lives./.