(VOVWORLD) - Overseas Vietnamese around the world donated 3.5 million USD and medical supplies to Vietnam’s COVID-19 battle in 2021.
 Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Hieu (Photo: VNA) |
The State Commission for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs briefed reporters on Friday on its performance in 2021, its 2022 plan, and contributions of overseas Vietnamese last year.
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Quang Hieu said, “Vietnamese people living abroad have contributed to their countries of residency, the relationship between their host countries and Vietnam, and their homeland Vietnam. They contribute finance and intellect for Vietnam’s development, especially when the COVID-19 pandemic rages on. Our vaccine fund was channeled by different sources but that from overseas Vietnamese people was critical. When Vietnam fell short of vaccine doses, medicine, and medical facilities, Vietnamese expats, by one way or another, purchased such supplies and sent back to Vietnam. Some were really hard to buy even we could financially afford them.”
In 2021, remittance to Vietnam totalled 18 billion USD, up 5.2% from 2020. The Vietnam Innovation Network, which connects overseas Vietnamese intellectuals with those in Vietnam, has been formed in South Korea, Japan, Australia, and Europe, contributing to Vietnam’s high-tech and post-pandemic recovery.