The congress took place on April 15, with celebrations for the 42nd anniversary of the liberation of southern Vietnam and national reunification (April 30) fast approaching.Addressing the event, UEVF executive board member Pham Nhat Minh gave attendees an overview of what the union have done over the past two years, including hosting a festival for Vietnamese people in Europe (Festival Lumos) in August last year that attracted nearly 10 overseas Vietnamese student associations from European countries.The UEVF also worked with the Vietnamese Embassy to organise the Study in France Forum in Hanoi, HCM City, Hue and Da Nang and partnered with the General Union of Vietnamese in France to hold celebrations for Tet holiday, Minh said.He added that it also held exhibitions on Vietnam’s sea and islands, a beauty pageant for young Vietnamese girls studying in France and several concerts and sporting events.He later detailed the UEVF plan for the 2017-2019 term.Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Ngoc Son lauded the achievements of the union since it was launched 13 years ago. He spoke highly of its contributions to building a Vietnamese community in France and to promoting Vietnam’s image overseas.The congress voted Nguyen Minh Duc as the new UEVF president and selected five others as members of the union’s Standing Committee.