Laws of Vietnam

DECISION No.788-TTg OF SEPTEMBER 24, 1997 ON THE PARTICIPATION OF VIETNAMESE RESIDING ABROAD AND VIETNAMESE HOLDING FOREIGN PASSPORTS AND RESIDING IN VIETNAM IN THE VIETNAMESE SPORT DELEGATIONS' ACTIVITIES AT HOME AND ABROAD

THE PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government of September 30, 1992;

In order to create favorable conditions for athletes and sport specialists who are Vietnamese residing abroad (including Vietnamese citizens, Vietnamese holding foreign passports but having not yet relinquished their Vietnamese citizenship and persons of Vietnamese origin holding foreign passports) and Vietnamese holding foreign passports and residing in Vietnam (hereafter referred to as overseas Vietnamese) to participate in physical training and sport activities in Vietnam and join Vietnamese sport delegations for overseas competitions;

At the proposal of the General Director of the General Department of Physical Training and Sports,

DECIDES:

Article 1.- To encourage and create favorable conditions for overseas Vietnamese athletes to participate in sport activities of Vietnamese sport federations and participate in sport competitions organized in the country.

Article 2.- The General Director of the General Department of Physical Training and Sports and the Presidents of Sport Federations may, depending on specific requirements, invite overseas Vietnamese trainers, referees and sport doctors (commonly referred to as sport specialists) to participate in scientific seminars organized by the branch or to help domestic sport clubs in training activities.

Article 3.- The above-said athletes and sport specialists shall have the following powers and tasks:

1. Athletes shall be entitled to register their names for domestic sport tournaments;

2. Athletes with outstanding achievements in sport competition shall be selected into sport squads of Vietnam and entitled to grants and allowances to ensure conditions for their training (accommodation, meals and travel) like all other athletes in the national squads;

3. Athletes and sport specialists who have recorded outstanding achievements in international competitions, thus bringing glory to the nation shall be considered for worthy commendation;

4. They shall be quickly granted multiple exit-entry visas in conformity with the time stated in invitation letters (or contracts) and shall have necessary expenses covered by the agencies that manage them during the period they perform their duties;

5. Those athletes who participate in domestic sport events or are recruited into national sport squads of Vietnam shall have to try their utmost in both training and competition for the honor of the nation;

6. Sports specialist shall have to bring all their abilities and intellectual capacity to contribute, together with their colleagues, to the development of physical training and sports of the country;

7. Athletes and sports specialists shall have to observe and strictly abide by the law of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and international law.

Article 4.- The General Department of Physical Training and Sports shall have to closely monitor the situation of overseas Vietnamese athletes and sports specialists and supply the Government's agencies with necessary information on athletes and sports specialists who may contribute to the development of physical training and sports of the country.

The overseas representative offices of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam shall act as liaisons for overseas Vietnamese athletes and sport specialists to contact the General Department of Physical Training and Sports and sport federations in the country.

Overseas Vietnamese athletes and sport specialists may directly contact the physical training and sport agencies and sport federations in the country and the Committee for Overseas Vietnamese for their participation in and contribution to the physical training and sports movement in the country.

Article 5.- This Decision takes effect 15 days after its signing.

The ministers, the heads of the ministerial-level agencies, the heads of the agencies attached to the Government and the presidents of the People's Committees of the provinces and cities directly under the Central Government shall have to implement this Decision.

The Prime Minister

VO VAN KIET