Overseas Vietnamese in Vientiane and Paris were called online to join the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long – Ha Noi yesterday.

Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Nguyen Thanh Son and Overseas Vietnamese Commission chairman reminded the participants the anniversary was just one of 63 anniversaries the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural organisation, UNESCO, had chosen to associate with during 2010-11.

"We should grasp this once-in-a-1,000 year opportunity to hold a grand ceremony to popularise the nation's images to the world, he said from Ha Noi.

The commission and Dat Viet , The Land of Viet Nam, Newspaper sponsored the gathering as part of a cultural week in anticipation of the anniversary.

The deputy foreign minister also used the meeting to call for young Vietnamese throughout the world to join the Summer Camp 2010 that will be held in 10 provinces in three regions from tomorrow to Tuesday, August 3.

"By attending the camp, we hope the new generation of overseas Vietnamese will return to their origins; witness the changes of their homeland and develop a deeper understanding of Vietnamese history and culture," he said.

A requiem in honour of the soldiers who fell in the war against the Khmer Rouge was also held during the online session.