This is one of the major tasks the Overseas Vietnamese Association (OVA) in Vientiane set at a congress in the capital on September 14. The association vowed to abide by the Lao law, educate younger generations about their roots, preserve traditional Vietnamese cultural identity, and turn their hearts to the homeland. It will also expand its membership to build a strong community in Vientiane while responding to the the Vietnamese embassy’s campaigns. In a report, the association’s chairman Nguyen Duy Trung said more than 6,000 Vietnamese are residing and working in Vientiane, helping strengthen Vietnam-Laos relations and promote Vietnam’s land, people and cultural identity to Lao people. The association has built a school with 50 classrooms for OV pupils to study and maintain traditional Vietnamese cultural activities. Despite difficulties, Trung said many OVs opened luxury hotels and restaurants, built steel and garment factories as well as running other businesses, generating stable incomes for Lao people and contributing to Laos’ development. Vietnamese expatriates have also actively taken part in cultural and sporting events, organized by the Vietnamese embassy and Lao agencies. Ambassador to Laos Nguyen Manh Hung acknowledged the OVA’s contribution and expressed his hope that the association will reap more success in the new term. The congress elected a new executive board in the 2013-2017 term led by Nguyen Van Tu. VOV