Homeland Spring 2026 fosters trust and aspiration for contributions from Overseas Vietnamese: Deputy Foreign Minister
Speaking with The World and Vietnam Report ahead of the Binh Ngo Lunar New Year, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang expressed her hope that the Spring Homeland 2026 program will become a profound connection platform, where the spirit of “remembering the source of the water we drink” is continued, fostering trust and the aspiration for contributions from overseas Vietnamese to their homeland and country.
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| Deputy Minister Le Thi Thu Hang with Hanoi city leaders and a delegation of distinguished overseas Vietnamese attending the Spring Homeland 2026 program. (Photo: Thanh Long) |
Deputy Minister, the Spring Homeland 2026 is organized as the country enters a new development phase after the 14th National Party Congress. How do you assess the significance and role of this year's program in connecting the overseas Vietnamese community with their homeland?
The Homeland Spring 2026 is not only a cultural and spiritual activity imbued with the traditional sense of reunion each time Tet and Spring arrive, but also an important event in people-to-people diplomacy and overseas Vietnamese affairs. The programme helps realize the major guidelines and policies of the Party and the State on great national unity, and on mobilizing overseas Vietnamese resources for national development.
In particular, Homeland Spring 2026 takes place in the context of the successful conclusion of the 14th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam, which marked a new stage of development for the country after 40 years of renewal, with its achievements, potential, international standing and prestige continuously enhanced. The Congress has set out a strategic vision and orientations for Viet Nam to move steadily into a new phase of development, towards the goals for 2030 and the vision to 2045.
Against this backdrop, the overseas Vietnamese community continues to be identified by the Party and the State as an inseparable part and an important resource of the nation. Together with compatriots at home, they form a strong bloc of great national unity, joining efforts to accomplish the country’s major tasks in the new development stage.
Amid this meaningful atmosphere, the Homeland Spring 2026 provides an opportunity for overseas Vietnamese to directly meet and engage with Party and State leaders, and to update themselves on the country’s situation and development orientations in the new period. At the same time, it serves as a forum for overseas Vietnamese to share their thoughts, aspirations, initiatives and proposals for contributions in areas such as science and technology, innovation, investment, business, education and training, and the promotion of Viet Nam’s image to the world.
We hope that Homeland Spring 2026, under the theme “Vietnam’s Aspiration: Peace and Prosperity,” will continue to strongly inspire and spread the spirit of “remembering the source of our roots,” reinforcing trust, attachment and companionship of nearly 6.5 million overseas Vietnamese with the homeland, so that together they can contribute to building a strong, prosperous and happy Vietnam in the new development period.
According to the 14th Congress's orientation on science and technology, innovation, and digital transformation, how do you expect the overseas Vietnamese community to continue accompanying and contributing to the country's development in the coming time?
The overseas Vietnamese community has been making significant contributions to the successful implementation of the Party's policies and resolutions and is an important resource for the country's development.
Among them, the intellectual community of over 650,000 overseas Vietnamese, along with a network of associations of overseas Vietnamese experts and intellectuals (currently, there are 10 innovation networks in countries with 2,000 experts; over 30 associations of Vietnamese experts and intellectuals in various regions) have responsibly participated, contributed, and advised in strategic and key areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, nuclear energy, quantum physics...
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| Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang. |
According to the 14th Congress's orientation, science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation are identified as the main drivers and the inevitable path for Vietnam to break through in the new era. With this new position and power, I believe that the overseas Vietnamese community will continue to accompany and contribute strongly to the country's development in many aspects.
First, overseas Vietnamese are an important "link" in technology transfer. With hundreds of thousands of experts and intellectuals living in developed countries, working for leading technology corporations, and renowned research institutes worldwide, overseas Vietnamese have the conditions to grasp and have the ability to bring advanced technologies to Vietnam, helping the country shorten the technology gap and move towards mastering core technologies.
Moreover, with experience working in an international environment, overseas Vietnamese experts can participate as policy advisors, contributing to building legal frameworks, digital governance models, and innovation strategies suitable to the country's development needs and global trends.
At the same time, overseas Vietnamese are also a driving force for the domestic startup and innovation ecosystem. They not only bring in investment capital but also spread modern management thinking and a sustainable startup culture, connecting Vietnamese businesses with international markets and resources.
Especially, professors, scientists, and overseas Vietnamese experts play a crucial role as bridges in science and technology diplomacy and high-quality human resource training; thereby promoting cooperation with domestic universities and research institutes in teaching, training, and research activities, while connecting Vietnam with leading universities and research centers worldwide.
They are also the most reputable "ambassadors" to persuade multinational corporations to establish research and development (R&D) centers in Vietnam, making our country a new creative destination in the region.
It can be said that the strategic orientations set out at the 14th National Party Congress, especially regarding science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation, have opened opportunities for overseas Vietnamese not only to be a supportive resource but also to directly participate as key players, making significant contributions to the development process, elevating Vietnam to a new level of development in the context of global transformation.
Do you have any message for the overseas Vietnamese community on the occasion of Homeland Spring 2026, to continue to evoke the spirit of companionship, responsibility, and practical contributions of overseas Vietnamese to the country's development in the new phase?
In the sacred atmosphere of the nation's traditional New Year, when overseas Vietnamese from around the world return to their homeland to reunite and meet at the Homeland Spring 2026 program, I would like to express my appreciation for the deep affection, strong attachment, and sense of responsibility that our compatriots always have for their homeland and country.
Our country is entering a new development phase with a strong aspiration to rise, building a strong, prosperous Vietnam with an increasingly high position on the international stage.
In this process, the companionship of the overseas Vietnamese community is of special importance, not only in terms of intellectual, financial, and management experience resources but also in their role in connecting Vietnam with the world, spreading the image of a dynamic, responsible, and trustworthy Vietnam, a peace-loving, humane, and resilient nation.
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| The delegation of overseas Vietnamese participating in Spring Homeland 2026 takes a souvenir photo at Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh. (Photo: Thanh Long) |
I hope that overseas Vietnamese will continue to promote the tradition of patriotism, the spirit of solidarity, and attachment to their homeland; actively contribute ideas, initiatives, knowledge transfer, and technology; participate in investment, business, and social and humanitarian activities for the common development of the country.
Every contribution is valuable because “one tree does not make a forest, three trees together make a high mountain”, the Party, State, and Government of Vietnam always listen, appreciate, and create favorable conditions for overseas Vietnamese to feel secure in their attachment and dedication.
The new spring is a time of trust and hope. On the occasion of the traditional New Year, I would like to extend my best wishes for health, happiness, and success to all our compatriots abroad and their families; believing that with the united efforts of the entire nation, including the overseas Vietnamese community, Vietnam will confidently advance on the path of development, realizing the aspiration to rise in the new era.
Thank you, Deputy Foreign Minister!
