A meeting for overseas Vietnamese entrepreneurs in Da Lat City, scheduled for August 6–8, is considered a golden opportunity for domestic businesses to establish partnerships and expand outlets. Finding markets for local products The State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs (COVA) says the meeting will serve as a forum for businesses to introduce trading initiatives as well as their latest products and services. It includes a seminar on cooperative investment and trade opportunities, an exchange with OV entrepreneur representatives, and an exhibition honouring outstanding business achievements. OV representatives can meet with their partners in their home localities to discuss integrating products into global market chains. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and COVA Chairman Nguyen Thanh Son says OV entrepreneurs are indispensable to promoting exports and investment abroad. OV businesses play an increasing role in economic development. They link Vietnam with foreign investors, expand Vietnam’s international markets, and encourage advanced technological transfers that will help the country overcome the lingering effects of the global financial turmoil. Fuelling national development Most OV businesspeople have been educated to expert levels, fuelling national prosperity and broadening Vietnam’s international profile. An average of 500,000 OVs return home each year, many with the intention of seeking investment opportunities. They see the potential for Vietnamese products in the US, the EU, and many other countries. Vietnam has yet to effectively leverage the resources of its expatriate communities and their businesses spread throughout the world. The Government should devise policy mechanisms to rectify this as soon as possible. The first meeting of its kind was held in Hanoi in 2011 and attended by 400 delegates, including 200 overseas Vietnamese. VOV