Deputy FM Le Thi Thu Hang meets with Vietnamese community in the UK
WVR - On November 3 in London, United Kingdom, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang met with representatives of associations, intellectuals, experts, scientists, entrepreneurs, and the Vietnamese community in the United Kingdom. Also attending was the Vietnamese Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Do Minh Hung.
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The meeting was organized to disseminate Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW dated August 2, 2026, of the Politburo regarding overseas Vietnamese affairs. It also served as an opportunity for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs leadership to continue discussions with the Vietnamese community in the UK about topics previously addressed during the official visit to the United Kingdom in October 2025 by General Secretary and State President To Lam, along with his spouse Ngo Phuong Ly and a high-level delegation. Additionally, the meeting aimed to update the situation, acknowledge the community's contributions, and discuss future activity orientations.
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| Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang meets with representatives of the Vietnamese community in the UK. |
During the meeting, representatives of the associations reported on their notable activities in recent times. Noteworthy among these is the effort by the Vietnamese Association in the UK (VAUK) to unite and connect the community, with participation from many association representatives in the Executive Committee, demonstrating the community's solidarity regardless of their field of activity. The Vietnamese Intellectuals Association in the UK and Ireland (VIS) has been building a network of experts, promoting academic exchanges, and fostering cooperation with Vietnam. The Vietnamese Family Association has been organizing Vietnamese language classes for children, while the Women's and Children's Association has been hosting the Ao Dai Fashion Week in London and various other cultural events.
The associations also expressed several aspirations, such as strengthening relations with the Vietnamese Representative Missions, receiving support from Vietnam in organizational consolidation, development orientation, and funding, with the highest goal of building a united and strong community that represents the positive image of Vietnam and its people.
After listening to the heartfelt contributions from representatives of the Vietnamese associations in the UK, Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang acknowledged and highly appreciated the efforts of the associations and the community in maintaining community cohesion, supporting each other, preserving the Vietnamese language and cultural identity, while actively integrating and contributing to the host society, which has been recognized and facilitated by the local government and people.
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| Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang listens to contributions from representatives of the Vietnamese Intellectuals Association in the UK and Ireland. |
The Deputy Minister emphasised that the Vietnamese community in the UK has significant potential and advantages, serving as an important resource that can contribute practically to the country's development in the new era. A clear testament to this is the incorporation of the Vietnamese community's proposals in the UK, presented to the Party and State leaders in 2025, into Vietnam's legal and practical action plans, especially in the process of amending the Nationality Law and establishing International Financial Centres in Vietnam.
In the context of Vietnam–UK relations being upgraded to a comprehensive strategic partnership in October 2025, the Deputy Minister suggested that the community should better utilize its role as a bridge, contributing to the implementation of agreements and cooperation frameworks between the two countries, promoting specific projects in trade, investment, science and technology, education, and green transition.
Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang affirmed the deep attention of the Party and State leadership, led by General Secretary and State President To Lam, pays to overseas Vietnamese communities, as reflected in the strategic resolutions for the new era.
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| Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang discusses with the Vietnamese community in the UK about Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW dated August 2, 2026, of the Politburo regarding overseas Vietnamese affairs. |
Particularly, the new requirements for overseas Vietnamese affairs are prominently featured in Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW: continuing to strongly promote the resources of overseas Vietnamese, encouraging them to accompany the country and participate more deeply in diverse forms in the development and international integration process; affirming the Party and State's concern and support for the overseas Vietnamese community.
In the spirit of Resolution 23, the Deputy Minister urged the associations to continue strengthening their organizations, enhancing coordination, leveraging their unique strengths, and attracting the younger generation to participate in community activities. She particularly emphasised the need to continue strengthening the organization, improving the quality of activities, and the ability to gather members of the Vietnamese Association in the UK; while also focusing on building a successor team, attracting young people to participate in association activities, and promoting the role of reputable individuals in the community.
For experts and intellectuals, the Deputy Minister suggested continuing to develop expert networks in specific fields, connecting with the specific needs of ministries, sectors, localities, universities, research institutes, and domestic enterprises; exploring the possibility of participating in consulting and cooperation in finance, artificial intelligence, technology, education, and healthcare; bringing international conferences and seminars to Vietnam; encouraging entrepreneurs to strengthen business connections between the two countries, supporting domestic enterprises in accessing markets, partners, and management experience in the UK. The Deputy Minister also proposed some initiatives on organizing activities and events for the associations to consider.
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| Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang presents a commemorative medal for Honouring the Vietnamese Language to the Vietnamese Family Association, recognizing the Association's efforts and achievements in preserving and promoting the Vietnamese language within the community. |
The Deputy Minister highly appreciated and urged the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK to continue playing its role as a focal point connecting associations, experts, intellectuals, and entrepreneurs with domestic agencies and organizations; regularly monitoring and updating the discussed content, promptly addressing obstacles, and promoting feasible proposals. The goal is to maintain regular connections after each meeting, so that the community's ideas and initiatives gradually become specific tasks and cooperation programs.
On this occasion, Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang cordially invited the overseas Vietnamese in the UK to attend the 5th Global Conference of Overseas Vietnamese as well as the annual activities organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (UBNV), contributing ideas and initiatives for national development.
During the working visit, Deputy Chairwoman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Nguyen Quynh Mai held meetings with several community organizations in the UK, including the Vietnamese Women's and Children's Association in the United Kingdom, the Vietnamese Buddhist Association in the United Kingdom, and the Vietnamese Family Partnership.
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| Deputy Chairwoman Nguyen Quynh Mai presents Vietnamese books to the Women's and Children's Association. |
The meetings focused on discussing the activities of each organization, their contributions to supporting the community's integration into the host society, preserving the Vietnamese language, culture, and national identity, as well as proposals to further strengthen coordination in overseas Vietnamese affairs.
Acknowledging the community's proposals, Deputy Chairwoman Nguyen Quynh Mai stressed that the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese will make specific recommendations to best meet the aspirations of the community, hoping they will continue to effectively coordinate with the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK and contribute positively to their homeland and country.
