Word of Welcome

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The Year of Tiger just passed, the Year of New Cat has arrived. On behalf of the Embassy of Vietnam in the Netherlands, I would like to wish you all a very Happy, Prosperous New Year, good health and all the best.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Despite difficulties, especially caused by the world economic downturn, in 2010 our country achieved successfully all important targets in every aspect such as politics, economy, culture, society, security and defense, foreign affairs: maintaining peace and stability; ensuring considerable economic growth, security and defense as well as territorial integrity; keeping locally good integration of the overseas Vietnamese community along line with closer relation with the motherland; raising the international position of the country. In 2010, GDP grew by 6.78%, exceeding for the first time 100 billions USD with GDP per capita about 1.200 USD.

Moreover, many important events also took place in our country in 2010: 80 year of the Party foundation; 65 anniversary of National day; 120 year birth day of the President Ho Chi Minh; 35 year of the Liberation of the South of Vietnam; especially the successful celebration 0f 1000 year of the Capital Thang Long – Ha Noi, a symbol of the national pride and dignity. With regards to foreign affairs, Vietnam successfully completed its annual presidency of ASEAN, accelerated the friendly cooperative relations with many countries as well as regional and international organizations. Most importantly, in early January, 2011, the XI National Party Congress of Vietnam was successfully organized, which has brought the country to the new high level of development, enhancing comprehensive renewal process, upholding the strength of national unity, aiming at fast and sustainable growth and thus creating a foundation for the nation to become a modern-oriented industrialized country by 2010.

    We are very delighted that in the last year, the good friendly relation between Vietnam and the Netherlands was further consolidated and developed with some important momentum that helped to deepen and enlarge the existing relation. The highlight of 2010 cooperation was the signing of the Strategic Partnership Arrangement between Vietnam and the Netherlands on Climate change Adaptation and Water Management (SPA) by the Prime Ministers of our two countries at their meeting on the 4th October, 2010 on the sidelines of ASEM Summit in Brussels, forming the “important foundation” for cooperation between the two “top partners” in this field in the future. The implementation of SPA will certainly attract an enormous involvement of the industrial enterprises of both parties. The second important element of bilateral cooperation reached last year is that both sides agreed on the four main focus areas of cooperation that will be of priority in the years to come. They are the climate change adaptation and water management; maritime economy sector; agriculture and food processing; and energy and oil and gas. In the year of 2010, the trade exchange between the two countries was highest over the past 4 years reaching around 2. 216 billions USD (Vietnam exported – 1.688 billions USD, imported 0.528 billion USD). The Netherlands, investing 2.370 billions in Vietnam in 2010, thus was one of the biggest investors of Vietnam in 2010. The Netherlands supports in efforts to lift the anti-dumping taxes on some of Vietnam’s export commodities to Europe, to sign the Partnership cooperation agreement PCA and to negotiate on Free Trade agreement between Vietnam and EU. The Netherlands also provides Vietnam with effective development assistance in many fields such as: health care, education, environment, water management…and takes good care of the Vietnamese community in the Netherlands. We are very thankful to the Netherlands and the Dutch people for that. At the end of March, 2011 there will be a very high-level and important delegation visiting Vietnam headed by H.R.H the Crown Prince Willem Alexander and Princess Maxima. This event will be a historical milestone in the excellent relations between our countries, providing a new momentum for further developing and deepening the friendly relations and cooperation of our countries, bringing them up to the new height.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Our country is always proud of and pays due respect to the overseas Vietnamese community for their efforts to maintain the national culture and dignity, their love to the motherland, their active material and intellectual contribution to the development of the country. The overseas Vietnamese community is an integral part and strength of the nation, and also a bridge connecting the country they live in with the motherland Vietnam. The Government always seeks and sets appropriate policies as well as measures to ensure the cohesion of the overseas Vietnamese with the country, which include the regulations on nationalization, repatriation, settling, ownership over real estate, enhancement of citizen protection…and will continue to do so to meet the practical needs of the community.

In the last year, the Vietnamese community in the Netherlands put a lot of efforts to strengthen solidarity, stabilize and improve living conditions, integrate well with the local society and support the motherland. Last year, our community sent a considerable amount of money to help the people in the central part of Vietnam who suffered from the severe flooding, in which a certain amount of 1.200 Euro was sent via the Embassy with the money contributed mainly by Vietnamese communities in Oudenbosch and Roosendaal municipalities. I would like to express sincere thanks to those who contributed to this significant mission. 

I also would like to wish that the community of Vietnamese students and researchers in the Netherlands will continue their best efforts in studying, learning the advanced knowledge and experience of the Netherlands, in keeping the unity, national culture and dignity, making themselves an effective cooperative bridge between Vietnam and the Netherlands.

In conclusion, I wish you good health, a happy and prosperous New Year.

Happy new Year. Gelukkig Nieuwjaar.

Thank you. Dank u wel.

Ambassador

Huynh Minh Chinh