A panel discussion at the event.

The consensus was reached during the event reviewing five years of implementing Project 1797, which focuses on mobilising overseas Vietnamese to introduce and consume Vietnamese products and develop distribution channels for Vietnamese goods abroad in 2020-2024 period.

In her opening remarks, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang highlighted that Project 1797 had been implemented comprehensively and effectively. It has not only driven production and export activities but also helped to promote Vietnam’s image, culture, and national identity to international audiences, making significant contributions to the country's socio-economic progress.

Hang further noted that the implementation of the project took place amid unprecedented global challenges, from the COVID-19 pandemic to the compounded impacts of armed conflicts, supply chain disruptions, and instability in energy and food security. Despite these obstacles, Vietnam has continued to stand out as a bright spot in regional and global economic growth.

At the conference, participants affirmed that the project serves as an important initiative of the Party and State to promote economic and trade development by boosting export activities. It has played a pivotal role in elevating the presence of Vietnamese brands and enhancing the quality of Vietnamese products internationally, while also strengthening Vietnam’s “soft power” on the global stage. Vietnam’s trade turnover grew from over 516 billion USD in 2019 when the project is launched to 786 billion USD by the end of 2024.

Nguyen Trung Kien, Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, emphasised that thanks to the active engagement of the OV community, Vietnamese products are not only being distributed through traditional diaspora networks but have also secured space on the shelves of local supermarkets, distribution chains, and major e-commerce platforms in foreign markets. These efforts have significantly contributed to boosting export revenues, diversifying export markets, reducing reliance on traditional trading partners, creating jobs, promoting domestic production, and supporting GDP growth.

Delegates comprehensively assessed the achievements and lessons learned from the project’s implementation. They also put forward solutions to further mobilise the OV community in promoting and distributing Vietnamese goods internationally during the 2025–2029 phase, with the goal of directly contributing to increased export activities.

Chairman of the Business Association of Overseas Vietnamese Nguyen Hong Hue pointed out that despite the positive outcomes, Project 1797 still faces certain limitations, including insufficient financial resources, a lack of supportive mechanisms, weak coordination among relevant stakeholders, inadequate market data, difficulties in identifying reliable partners, and inconsistency in product quality and competitiveness. To address these issues, he proposed the establishment of a support fund for OV businesses, the creation of a global trade information portal to foster a global alliance for Vietnamese goods, and push for greater empowerment of Vietnam’s diplomatic missions. He also urged the government to introduce targeted policies to support the younger generation of OV entrepreneurs.

Meanwhile, Ho Van Lam, Chairman of the Thailand-Vietnam Business Association, stressed the need for Vietnam to strengthen bilateral and multilateral trade negotiations with potential markets to eliminate technical barriers and protectionist measures, thereby facilitating greater official exports to Thailand and other countries.

He also recommended Vietnamese authorities enhance trade promotion efforts in regions with large OV populations to raise awareness and demand for Vietnamese products among local and host communities. Additionally, he called for the identification and introduction of large, reputable Vietnamese exporters and their signature products to foster deeper cooperation with overseas Vietnamese networks./.