Hanoi to host conference for overseas Vietnamese

Nearly 1,000 Vietnamese nationals abroad have registered for their first conference to be held in Hanoi on November 21-23, said Nguyen Phuong Nga, spokesperson for the Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hanoi on November 5.
About 400 domestic delegates, including representatives from ministries, sectors and 63 provinces and cities will also attend the conference.
Delegates will discuss ways to build strong and prosperous Vietnamese communities abroad, preserve and develop traditional cultural identity within those communities, and encourage overseas Vietnamese specialists, intellectuals and entrepreneurs to contribute to the fatherland.
Also at the regular press briefing in Hanoi, the spokesperson said that former US President Jimmy Carter is scheduled to fly to Vietnam on November 18 to inspect a housing project for the poor.
Vietnam is one of five Mekong River countries to benefit from the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project 2009 (JRCWP).
The project will be carried out in the northern province of Hai Duong where volunteers will build 32 houses in Dong Xa village. The ground-breaking ceremony will be held at Ke Sat town, Binh Giang district, Hai Duong province, on November 14.
This will be former President Carter’s first trip to Vietnam.