Party leader calls for further solidarity to tap future opportunities

The nation has its eye on great opportunities and chances ahead, requiring the whole Party, people, and army to strengthen consensus and utilise all resources and creativity to push the country forward in its path of renewal and development, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has stated.

Granting an interview to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 85th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) (February 3, 1930-2015), he reviewed the achievements Vietnam has reaped in recent years despite numerous difficulties and challenges.

Recent years have been tough for Vietnam , with global economic crises persisting and political and security instabilities growing more complex with increasing tensions in a number of communities, he said.

Although the domestic economic growth showed signs of recovery, the situation has yet to stabilise, beleaguered by poor productivity, low quality and limited competitiveness, he noted.

At the same time, corruption, lavishness and social evils have remained a great concern in society, coupled with complicated disputes over the East Sea with negative impacts on the national construction and defence.

In that context, the Party Central Committee, Politburo and Secretariat have worked tirelessly to maintain order in all areas, he stated.

Positive figures were seen in 2014 with GDP rising 5.98 percent, exceeding the target set by the National Assembly, and export turnover reaching on, up 13.6 percent from the previous year.

Last year, the country attracted USD21 billion in foreign direct investment and served 8 million foreign visitors and 37.5 million domestic tourists, earning a record of VND230 trillion (roughly USD1.1 billion).

The Party leader went on to say that progress was also seen in international integration efforts, with Vietnam joining United Nations peacekeeping operations for the first time, taking a leading role in building the ASEAN Community, and concluding negotiations for free trade agreements with the Republic of Korea and the Customs Union of Russia-Belarus-Kazakhstan. All of which served to elevate the country’s relationships with partners and enhance its position in international and regional forums, he stated.

Facing sensitive developments in the East Sea , Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said that Vietnam rolled out timely and flexible measures in accordance with international law to firmly safeguard independence and territorial sovereignty while maintaining a peaceful and stable environment for national development, which was applauded by the global community.

He said that last year, the first year of implementing the 2013 Constitution, also saw the drafting and issuance of various laws. During its seventh and eighth sessions, the 13 th National Assembly approved 29 bills and 13 resolutions and gave comments on 28 draft laws.

These documents aim to concretise the Party’s new guidelines and viewpoints on economic institutions, State apparatus, and administrative and judicial reforms, thus ensuring human rights as well as the basic rights and obligations of citizens as reflected in the spirit of the Constitution.

In the meantime, efforts to build the Party and improve its political system were accelerated while the democratic atmosphere inside the Party and the entire society was strengthened, laying the foundation for significant advances in 2015, he asserted.

The Party chief underscored that after nearly 30 years of renewal, Vietnam has made great achievements, but there is still much to do in the future.

He expressed his concern over the poor living conditions of many people in rural areas, especially in mountainous and remote regions, and the persistently high poverty ratio.

To counteract this, the Party has defined two key tasks: boosting economic development and improving social welfare, Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong said, stressing that all Party guidelines and State policies should focus on the final target of caring for the people and improving their living standards.

In the coming time, additional efforts will be made to reduce poverty more effectively and ensure that all members of society benefit from national growth, he said.

Regarding issues emerging during the process of industrialisation and modernisation, he stated that the Party is designing programmes on vocational training and job generation for farmers in areas projected for industrial parks in order to mitigate the development externalities.

For localities with great tourism potential like Quang Ninh, Ninh Binh, Da Nang , Hue , Nha Trang and Phu Quoc, the Party chief emphasised the need to harmonise tourism and industrial development, and protecting the ecological environment.

In the context of market economies and expanding international integration, it is crucial to preserve national cultural identities, he noted, adding that degradations in morality and lifestyle are attributed to the increase in crimes and social problems.

“Therefore, it is necessary to harmonise economic growth and cultural development and social progress and equality realisation in an effort to develop the country in a rapid and sustainable manner,” he said.

Mentioning a Party building resolution issued during the fourth plenum of the 11th Party Central Committee, the General Secretary said over the past three years, the resolution has been actively implemented within the Party in a synchronous and broad manner, creating drastic changes.

The practice of criticism and self-criticism has become a regular activity of all party bodies from central to local levels, helping all Party members adjust their thinking and actions to prevent and minimise negative behaviours, he said.

At the same time, votes of confidence were implemented and actions were taken to combat corruption and waste as part of efforts to realise the resolution, he added.

He hailed improvements in the fight against corruption and lavishness and attributed them to the participation of the entire political system and people.

However, the struggle requires patience and resilience to deal with its continued challenges and complexities, as the process can be damaging to the interests of those in the upper echelons, he noted.

The Party leader stressed the need for more practical actions, as opposed to words or slogans, to fuel the fight, and suggested developing mechanisms to prevent, punish, and ultimately eliminate corruption.

He also called for the strengthening of information and education activities to raise awareness and senses of morality and esteem, while bettering public and media involvement in the struggle, in tandem with drastic and strict measures to handle violations.

He attached significant importance to the pioneer role of each Party official and member in the success of the guidelines and policies issued by the Party. “The spirit and enthusiasm of all Party members, which were indefatigable in the past, now need to be preserved and upheld even more to serve the nation’s renewal, construction and defence.

He hailed the significant role and mission of the Party as proven over the past 85 years, calling for further Party building efforts to ensure its strong and everlasting existence.

In conclusion, the Party chief highlighted 2015 as an important milestone in terms of the Party building as well as the country’s cultural and socio-economic development and international integration.

He named key tasks for the entire Party, army and people for the year, including strengthening the stabilisation of the macro-economy, accelerating the implementation of strategic breakthroughs, restructuring the economy in tandem with renovating growth model, ensuring social security and welfare, improving living conditions, securing national independence, sovereignty, peace and stability for the nation’s development, and boosting diplomatic ties.

(Source: CPV)