(VNA) - More than 60 overseas Vietnamese intellectuals from 17 countries on August 16 attended a seminar about how overseas Vietnamese intellectuals can contribute to national construction in their homeland in Ha Noi.

Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien and Minister of Science and Technology Hoang Van Phong and representatives of relevant services and departments participated in the seminar.

The participants focused on four main matters: the situation of overseas Vietnamese intellectuals and their capacity and potential to contribute to Viet Nam's national construction; opinions of policies and initiatives to encourage overseas intellectuals to take part in national construction; creating opportunities for exchanges between overseas intellectuals and domestic scientific agencies; and receiving proposals from overseas intellectuals for key industries in the cause of national industrialisation and modernisation.

Addressing the seminar, FM Nien said the presence of more than 60 overseas Vietnamese at the seminar was a vivid manifestation of the great national unity in national construction.

To date, about 300,000 Vietnamese intellectuals are living in more than 90 foreign countries and territories. Overseas Vietnamese intellectuals have contributed to national development in many areas, including industry, agro-forestry, fisheries, finance, banking and environmental protection.