General Secretary, President To Lam meets with Vietnamese community in US
WVR/VNA - General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and President To Lam, together with the high-ranking Vietnamese delegation, attended a cultural event and met with the Vietnamese community in the US in New York on September 21 evening (local time).
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| General Secretary, President To Lam addresses the cultural event and meeting with the Vietnamese community in the US in New York on September 21 evening. (Photo: VNA) |
This formed part of his trip to attend the high-level General Debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly and conduct bilateral activities in the US.
The event drew more than 2,000 participants, including UN officials, American and international friends, and a large number of representatives of the Vietnamese community in the US. It was the largest overseas gathering between Party and State leaders and Vietnamese living abroad in terms of the number of overseas Vietnamese participants.
In a warm and cordial atmosphere, General Secretary and President Lam expressed his pleasure at seeing the Vietnamese community in the US growing in size, remaining dynamic and well integrated, making positive contributions to the host society, and helping promote friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
Briefing the community on Vietnam’s development achievements in recent years, he stressed that the country has made important and comprehensive progress across various fields.
Vietnam–US relations have also continued to deepen and become more substantive, spanning trade, investment, education, science –technology, innovation, defence – security, and war legacy remediation. The two countries are increasingly sharing common interests and expanding areas for cooperation, he said.
From the differences and painful legacy of the past, they have gradually built trust, broadened cooperation and pursued shared strategic interests, the top leader noted.
He expressed pride in a diligent, dynamic and resilient Vietnamese community that remains deeply connected to its homeland and roots.
He also highlighted the younger generation of Vietnamese-Americans who have opportunities to study at leading universities, work for major corporations, conduct research at advanced laboratories and launch businesses using new technologies.
“These are your own achievements, the pride of the community and also part of the future of the Vietnamese nation,” he remarked.
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| Participants at the meeting. (Photo: VNA) |
General Secretary and President Lam noted that on August 2, 2026, the Politburo issued Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW on overseas Vietnamese affairs, concretising the major orientations of the 14th National Party Congress and marking a new development in the Party’s thinking –defines overseas Vietnamese not only as an integral part of the Vietnamese nation but also as an important strategic resource contributing to the country’s overall strength.
Going forward, the Party and State will continue to improve institutions, mechanisms and policies in a coordinated, open and breakthrough manner to connect with, attract and make effective use of overseas Vietnamese resources, particularly intellectuals, experts, entrepreneurs, scientists and young Vietnamese living abroad, he said.
The leader stressed that in the country’s new era of development, Vietnam must continue to harness the strength of the great national solidarity while drawing on the strength of the times.
Domestic and international resources must be connected, he said, adding that material resources should go hand in hand with intellectual resources, while the strength of the more than 100 million Vietnamese at home should be linked with that of 6.5 million Vietnamese living, studying and working around the world.
Vietnamese people in the US form the largest overseas Vietnamese community and have a history shaped by profound changes in Vietnam during the 20th century. The community comprises people of different generations, backgrounds and perspectives on history.
Nevertheless, General Secretary and President Lam affirmed, “Vietnam is one, and the Vietnamese nation is one” – an enduring truth that will never change.
He shared that after experiencing war and division, with their profound suffering and losses, Vietnamese people have come to appreciate the value of peace even more.
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| Artists at the cultural event in New York on September 21 evening. (Photo: VNA) |
Everyone hopes that future generations will inherit the positive values that peace brings, he said, including a peaceful life, the freedom to work, study and create, compassion, tolerance, trust, solidarity and the aspiration to build an increasingly prosperous, civilised and happy Vietnam.
The top leader called on the community to put the past behind them and join hands in shaping the nation’s future, which is also about securing a better future for their children and grandchildren.
“This is not merely a wish, but our responsibility toward future generations,” he said.
He called on Vietnamese people in the US to help realise the aspiration of building a strong and prosperous Vietnam through concrete actions, including expanding global networks of Vietnamese intellectuals, connecting Vietnamese businesses with Vietnamese-American enterprises, and creating more exchange programmes for students, professors and experts.
He also encouraged opportunities for young Vietnamese-Americans to return to Vietnam for internships, research and start-ups, as well as joint projects in science, technology, education, healthcare, culture and innovation, thereby building new bridges between Vietnam and the US.
Every Vietnamese person who succeeds in the US can help raise awareness of Vietnam, every entrepreneur can open another door for cooperation, every scientist can build another bridge of knowledge, and every student can create another connection between the two countries, General Secretary and President Lam said.
He stressed that Vietnam always welcomes and values all contributions, whether made directly or from afar. Joining hands to contribute to the homeland, he said, embodies the spirit of “shared national roots and compatriot solidarity”.
The leader also called on Vietnamese people in the US to preserve the Vietnamese language and pass on the nation’s fine cultural values, customs and traditions to younger generations, describing these as lasting bonds connecting every Vietnamese person with their homeland and roots.
At the same time, he urged the community to play the role of “cultural ambassadors”, bringing Vietnamese identity closer to the American people and international friends.
On the occasion, General Secretary and President Lam and members of the Vietnamese community in the US enjoyed a special cultural programme that combined cinema and music to recreate Vietnam’s journey from the struggle for national independence and reunification to renewal, international integration and development.
