Vietnamese Association in UK charts new course at 9th Congress
The association will remain dedicated to building a compassionate, inclusive, and culturally proud Vietnamese community that remains deeply connected to those in both the UK and Vietnam.
New President of the Vietnamese Association in the UK (VAUK) Le Thi My Le speaks at the congress. (Photo: VNA)
London (VNA) – The Vietnamese Association in the UK (VAUK) convened its 9th Congress for the 2025–2029 term on May 18, reaffirming its mission to promote unity and sustainable development, and elevate the prestige of the Vietnamese community living there.
The congress reviewed the 2018–2024 term, a period marked by challenges including the COVID-19 pandemic and internal leadership changes. Despite these hurdles, the VAUK sustained its flagship events such as Lunar New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations, and held community football tournaments. The association also deepened ties with the homeland through visits to the Truong Sa (Spratly), fundraising for natural disaster and COVID-19 relief, and support for disadvantaged communities back home.
A key achievement was the VAUK’s partnership with the University of Languages and International Studies under the Vietnam National University-Hanoi to provide free Vietnamese language classes for children of expatriates. The association further modernised its outreach by launching a website, //vauk.org/, unveiling a new logo, and establishing a community library to serve as a hub for learning, research and cultural exchange.
Delegates discussed updates to the association’s charter and strategies to boost operational efficiency and community cohesion.
They elected a 14-member executive board representing Vietnamese groups across the UK, and appointed an advisory board of veteran contributors. Le Thi My Le was named the VAUK’s new President while Kien Pham became Vice President.
In her first address, Le pledged to lead with unity, responsibility, and a commitment to community service. She underscored the association’s dedication to building a compassionate, inclusive, and culturally proud Vietnamese community that remains deeply connected to those in both the UK and Vietnam.
Nguyen Tuan Viet, Counsellor of the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK, reaffirmed the embassy’s continued support for the VAUK in all of its endeavors.
Founded in 1977, the VAUK has long served as a vital link for Vietnamese expatriates, promoting cultural traditions and fostering integration while 🍬maintaining strong bonds with Vietnam./.
The two sides discussed future cooperation activities, including sharing leadership and organisation experiences, increasing political dialogues, and supporting cultural exchanges.
The UK, with an annual agri-food import value of 67 billion USD, is seen as a high-potential market. In 2024, Vietnam’s agri-export turnover to the UK reached nearly 883 million USD, a 15.4% year-on-year increase.
Vietnam Airlines launched its direct UK route in 2011, initially operating from London Gatwick Airport (LGW) before transitioning to Heathrow in 2015, improving connectivity to one of the UK’s major international hubs./.
In the context where AI dominates and produces vast volumes of content, the only sustainable path forward for journalism is to focus on high-quality content and core values. Journalism must redefine its mission - not to report the fastest, but to provide the most profound and trustworthy value.
Granma and the VNA have great potential for cooperation, especially in sharing content regularly, so that VNA products are published on Granma platforms and vice versa, thereby helping Cuban and Vietnamese people access true information and gain a deep understanding of each other's country and people.
During his stay in China’s Guangzhou city from 1924 to 1927 to prepare for the establishment of a Communist Party to lead Vietnam’s revolution, President Ho Chi Minh founded “Thanh nien” newspaper and released its first issue on June 21, 1925.
Vietnam and Cambodia are hoped to strengthen their robust collaboration across various sectors, particularly in resolving remaining border issues to transform the border area into a zone of peace, friendship, cooperation, and development.
The strategic product, managed and operated by the Vietnam News Agency Digital Media Centre (VNA Media), is an official channel for popularising the Party and State’s information and documents as well as delivering mainstream and trustworthy news to both domestic and international audiences through various kinds of multimedia formats.
Since President Ho Chi Minh founded Thanh Nien (Young People) newspaper in 1925, the Vietnamese revolutionary press has become the voice of the people. During the resistance war against the colonialists, journalists took great personal risks to inspire patriotism and the will of rising up against foreign invaders.
The total investment exceeded 319 billion VND (12.2 million USD), including over 261 billion VND from the state budget and 57.5 billion VND mobilised from businesses, organisations, and individuals.
The Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang is intensifying efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing as part of the country’s goal of having the European Commission’s “yellow card” warning lifted.
Throughout its 80-year history, the VNA has remained at the forefront of information dissemination. It has consistently delivered timely, accurate, and objective reports on both domestic and international events, serving the Party’s leadership, the State’s management, and the public’s demand for official news.
With strong support from local authorities, businesses, organisations, and residents, the province has successfully built or repaired 10,707 homes for disadvantaged households, including war veterans, families of martyrs, ethnic minority people, and low-income residents.
Throughout its resistance against colonialists and imperialists, Vietnam developed a revolutionary press that has served as a benchmark for just and legitimate causes worldwide.
Founded in 1842, the Vienna Philharmonic is regarded as a cultural ambassador of Austria, with prestigious conductors like Mahler and Karajan who shape its legacy. Its New Year’s Concert, broadcast to over 90 countries annually, stands as a global symbol of classical music excellence.
PM Chinh lauded the press’s historic role in the nation’s fight for independence and its ongoing process of national development, affirming that the Government always highly appreciates the close partnership and steadfast support of press agencies and journalists nationwide.
In recent decades, Vietnam’s mainstream media has become a reliable and persuasive channel for showcasing the nation’s development policies and achievements, especially in economic matters, according to a senior assistant editor at the Times of India.
A hub for sharing best practices, the event aims to forge solutions for financial sustainability, public media contracts, audience engagement, content innovation, and newsroom restructuring. It is also a moment for Vietnam’s media to accelerate its progress and figure out what the “revolutionary press” means in a new era.
From “Thanh nien”, Vietnam’s first revolutionary newspaper founded by Nguyen Ai Quoc (later President Ho Chi Minh) on June 21, 1925, the revolutionary press has remained devoted to its sacred missions -accompanying the nation, serving the Fatherland, and working for the people.
The official launch of Emirates’ Dubai–Da Nang route on June 2 has sparked a “tourism revolution” for Vietnam’s central coastal city. Da Nang is emerging as a top destination for high-end travelers, particularly from the lucrative Middle Eastern market.
Bernama CEO Datin Paduka Nur-ul Afida Kamaludin said VNA has been a consistent and reliable partner in OANA, contributing actively to the regional media landscape through content sharing, coordination, and policy discussions. Their coverage of ASEAN and Indochina issues adds valuable perspectives. Bernama appreciates the collaboration with VNA.
In this era of global integration and digitalisation, the press must adopt modern multimedia models to not only meet increasing information and communication demands but also align with the broader socio-economic development of the country.
