Hanoi (VNA) 𝕴– In 2020, Truong Sa Clubin Germany will continue activities to raise fund supporting soldiers and locals in Truong Sa (Spratly) archipelago, along with communication activities to help foreign friends in Germany and the world get a better understanding of Vietnam’s sovereignty over the Hoang Sa (Paracel) and Truong Sa archipelagoes.

Bui Thu Minh, Chairwoman of the club, revealed the plan during its second congress that took place on February 16 in Berlin. The congress drew Vietnamese Ambassador to German Nguyen Minh Vu as well as officials from the Vietnamese Embassy in the European country, members of the club and representatives of a number of businesses and the Vietnamese Students’ Association in Germany. After listening to a report summarizing the operation of the club in the first tenure, Ambassador Vu showed his delight at and praised the outcomes of meaningful and practical efforts of the club which, he said, have given support to the soldiers and locals in Truong Sa archipelago and contributed to thepopularisation and protection ofthe sacred national sovereignty over the homeland’s sea and islands, especially amidst the current difficult period. Ambassador Vu gave a number of ideas to the club to build its operation plans for the future, highlighting the need to increase communications work, especially among the youth, on patriotism, while providing better understanding to German and international friends on Vietnam’s sovereignty over sea and islands and Hoang Sa and Truong Sa in particular. The diplomat also expressed his hope that the executive board of the Truong Sa Club will continue designing and conducting more activities and attract the engagement of more oversea Vietnamese, businesses and Vietnamese organisations and unions in Germany, thus providing more assistance to the people who are living in sea and island areas of Vietnam.

On behalf of the club, Chairwoman Bui Thu Minh of the club thanked Ambassador Vu for his ideas. She said that in order to prepare for the celebration of the 45^thꦦ anniversary of the Vietnam-Germany diplomatic relations, the club will coordinate with the Vietnamese Students’ Association to organise a photo exhibition on Truong Sa as part of the framework of the student camp 2020, at a hope to popularise information on Vietnam’s sea and island conditions to Vietnamese students as well as German students and friends and the international community.

At the same time, the club will continue fund-raising activities and grant practical gifts to soldiers and islanders on Truong Sa Archipelago. Participants of the second congress of the club elected a new executive board which comprises of six members. Bui Thu Minh wasre-elected as Chairwoman of the club in the second tenure. Truong Sa Club was established on April 23, 2017. Initially, it was a volunteer organisation grouping those who took part in visits to Truong Sa Archipelago. However, recognising the warm sentiments that oversea Vietnamese have given to the homeland’s sea and islands, the club was expanded to accept those who have not had a chance to visit Truong Sa. From 11 members at first, the Truong Sa Club’s membership has expanded tonearly 40. So far, regular visits have been organised for overseas Vietnamese to visit islands and sea in the homeland. The visits have helped raised the expats’ awareness and understanding of the national sovereignty over the sea and islands as well as their responsibility in the field./.