On behalf of Vietnam’s representative offices in the US and the community, Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Dung reported that the Vietnamese community in the US is currently the largest, most mature and best positioned among overseas Vietnamese communities. Community members are increasingly integrated into mainstream society and have affirmed their role in science and technology, education, healthcare, finance, business and social life.

During the Lunar New Year (Tet), their attachment to the homeland and aspiration to contribute to national development are expressed even more clearly. Over several decades, overseas Vietnamese, including those in the US, have been an inseparable part of the nation and an important force contributing to Vietnam’s position, strength and prestige in the international arena.

On the occasion of the new year, the Party chief extended greetings and best wishes to officials and overseas Vietnamese, wishing them health, prosperity, happiness and development, and expressing pride in the community’s solidarity and continued orientation toward the homeland.

He said the current US trip is the first overseas visit by a Vietnamese leader in the new year, taking place in the early days of spring. An important purpose of the visit was to accept an invitation from US President Donald Trump to participate in the Board of Peace for Gaza as a founding member. Vietnam is the first Asian country to join the initiative, thereby showing  its increasingly proactive and responsible role in international and global affairs.

The Party General Secretary stressed that Vietnam’s participation in the Board is not only an honour but also a responsibility to the international community. As a country that has experienced war, Vietnam understands the value of peace and has a responsibility to contribute to peacekeeping efforts, conflict resolution, and efforts to ensure stability and development worldwide. Participation as a founding member also affirms Vietnam’s rising position internationally and demonstrates its maturity, resilience and capacity to contribute to global issues.

He said the opening session of the Board of Peace for Gaza was successfully held with the participation of many countries, during which Vietnam signed important documents and officially became a founding member. The visit also aimed to promote comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and the US, particularly as both countries enter new stages of development with long-term strategic objectives.

Assessing Vietnam-US relations, the Party leader said bilateral ties are developing well, based on respect for each other’s independence, sovereignty and political institutions, while aiming at shared interests and contributing to regional and global peace and stability. The US is one of Vietnam’s leading trade and investment partners and an important source of advanced technology, contributing to Vietnam’s modernisation and economic development.

During the visit, a number of important cooperation agreements were signed, particularly in high technology, healthcare and aviation. Vietnam signed contracts to purchase advanced technological equipment, aircraft and modern medical devices from the US, with a total value of tens of billions of US dollars. These are important steps to enhance technological capacity, modernise the healthcare system and promote economic development.

The Party chief also briefed overseas Vietnamese on domestic development. The 14th National Party Congress set the goal of developing Vietnam into a developed, high-income country by 2045, marking the 100th anniversary of the nation’s founding. This is an ambitious objective requiring tremendous efforts from the entire nation, including the Vietnamese community abroad.

In 2025, Vietnam recorded important achievements, with the size of the economy exceeding US$500 billion and growth of more than 8%, becoming one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Living standards have continued to improve, and Vietnam’s international standing has continued to rise.

To achieve development goals in the coming period, Vietnam will focus on strategic breakthroughs, including institutional improvement, infrastructure development, high-quality human resource training, and the promotion of science, technology and innovation, he said. In the context of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Vietnam identifies science, technology and innovation as important drivers for rapid and sustainable development.

The Party leader also expressed pleasure at the strong development of the Vietnamese community in the US, now numbering more than two million people- the largest overseas Vietnamese community and one that has made highly positive contributions to the homeland.

The community preserves national cultural identity while serving as an important bridge in promoting cooperation between Vietnam and the US, particularly in the fields of economy, science and technology, and education.

He affirmed that the Party and State consistently pay attention to and create favourable conditions for overseas Vietnamese to contribute to national development, calling on the community to continue reinforcing solidarity, preserving cultural identity, and contributing their knowledge, experience and resources to national construction and development.

He emphasised that with the unity of the entire nation and expanding international cooperation, Vietnam has every basis to achieve its goal of becoming a developed country and to contribute actively to peace, stability and development in the region and the world.

Party chief To Lam meets vs foreign leaders on sidelines of Board of Peace meeting

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam To Lam met with the Presidents of Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan; the Prime Ministers of Cambodia, Armenia, Hungary and Pakistan; and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.