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The State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on June 10 held a ceremony to receive donations from overseas businesses to support the homeland in Covid-19 prevention and control.

The State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs received VND 50 million (US$ 2,180) for the Covid-19 vaccine fund, 500 mineral spray bottles worth VND 100 million, and 5,040 water bottles valued at VND 126 million for frontline medical workers in Bac Giang and Bac Ninh provinces from the Steve Bui & Friends Foundation, the Phuong Long Nhien Co., and the Cosmos Japan Creation JSC, Baoquocte reported.

Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Hieu, chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (fourth from the left), receives aid from overseas businesses. Photo: Baoquocte

At the ceremony, Deputy Foreign Minister Pham Quang Hieu, chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, thanked the overseas Vietnamese enterprises for their timely and important contributions to Covid-19 prevention in their home country.

The deputy minister said it was a practical and meaningful action in response to the Prime Minister’s call of contributing to the Covid-19 vaccine fund, stressing that the aid was a sign of solidarity, sharing, and affection of Vietnamese ex-pats homeland.

Previously, on May 31, Steve Bui, chairman of the Steve Bui & Friends Foundation and the representatives from the Phuong Long Nhien, presented nearly 1,000 mineral spray bottles and 9,000 N95 masks with a total value of VND 300 million to medical staff Bac Giang and Bac Ninh.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Canada on June 9 launched a program to raise funds for the homeland’s Covid-19 vaccine fund.

The Vietnamese Ambassador to Canada Pham Cao Phong briefed participants on the Covid-19 situation in Vietnam.

He said that Vietnamese ex-pats in Canada could contribute to the country’s Covid-19 fund in various ways, such as providing information for the embassy about accessible Covid-19 vaccine sources or mobilizing relatives and friends to donate to the fund.

A worker at an industrial zone in Bac Giang province is injected with the Covid-19 vaccine. Photo: VNA

Phong said all officers and staff of the embassy spent one day’s salary to support the Covid-19 vaccine fund.

At the event, overseas Vietnamese were really excited to hear that the country was likely to produce domestic Covid-19 vaccines by this September. They also said they hoped that under the leadership of the Party and government, the country would soon be at the pandemic.

Professor Julie Nguyen, chairman of the Canada-ASEAN Initiatives Association in York University, said that kicking off the Covid-19 vaccine fund was Vietnam’s strategic policy and the right direction.

Tran Van Vi, 80, a Vietnamese in Canada, traveled more than 200 km to the embassy headquarters to donate one month's pension to the fund.

In Mozambique, the Vietnamese Embassy organized a launching ceremony to raise funds for the national Covid-19 vaccine fund on June 9 at the Maputo capital.

On the first day of launching, more than VND 90 million was collected.

The fundraising campaign will last until June 19. After that, the donations will be sent to the fund via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee.

The vaccine fund receives enthusiastic support from Vietnamese in Mozambique. Photo: VNA

Addressing the event, the Vietnamese Ambassador to Mozambique Le Huy Hoang emphasized the country’s positive results in controlling Covid-19.

He also highlighted the significance of the Covid-19 vaccine fund, appealing for overseas Vietnamese in Mozambique to contribute to the fund, helping the country fulfill mass immunization.

Photo: VNA

According to the ambassador, Vietnamese people in Mozambique have always upheld the spirit of solidarity and mutual love towards their home country despite facing many difficulties.

There are currently about 300 Vietnamese people in Maputo, mainly workers, medical and education experts, students, and business people.

Responding to the call of the President, Prime Minister, Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a ceremony to raise funds for the country’s Covid-19 vaccine fund was held by the Vietnamese Embassy in Egypt on June 8.

The event was attended by officers and staff of the Vietnamese Embassy and representative agencies in Egypt.

Ambassador Tran Thanh Cong and staff of the Vietnamese Embassy and representative agencies in Egypt support the vaccine fund. Photo: VNA

Vietnamese Ambassador to Egypt Tran Thanh Cong highlighted the country’s efforts in fighting against the novel coronavirus.

He called on the Vietnamese community in Egypt to promote great unity to assist the country in curbing the pandemic soon.

The Covid-19 vaccine fund was officially launched on June 5, aiming to mobilize social resources for the purchase of vaccines and the research and production of homegrown ones.

To date, the fund has received donations and pledges worth over VND 7.6 trillion from businesses and other donors.

Malie Nguyen