Addressing the ceremony, Chairman of the HCM City People’s Committee LeHoang Quan praised contributions made by Vietnamese people living bothin and outside the country to the socio-economic development of HCMCity in particular and Vietnam in general.
He said the event is seen as an opportunity for overseas Vietnamese notonly to enjoy the traditional festival but also to witness changeshappening across the country. “HCM City will create favourableconditions for overseas Vietnamese to contribute to the country’sdevelopment,” he added.
At the meeting, leaders of HCM City Department of Construction alsopledged to boost administrative reform, helping overseas Vietnamesereturn to their homeland, settle and invest here.
Dr. Nguyen Thanh Thai, a Frenchman of Vietnamese origin, stressed thesignificance of joint efforts in brainpower and finance by domestic andoverseas Vietnamese to transform Vietnam into a developed country.
Foreign remittance sent to Vietnam through HCM City banks reached 2.36billion USD in the first nine months of 2009. Overseas Vietnamese haveraised charitable funds worth 12.2 billion VND.
The HCM City Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs has granted 400presents to Vietnamese expatriates in Cambodia on the occasion of theLunar New Year./.