On the occasion of the Lunar New Year, Sai Gon Giai Phong Newspaper interviewed President Tran Dai Quang about country’s achievements in 2016 and big affairs in 2017.
2016 was the first year the country started implementation of the 12th Party Congress Resolution with six major missions. Among them, socio-economic development was the crux, party building was the key, building culture and human resources was the moral foundation and enhancing national defense and security was a vital task.
Efforts by the whole party, army and people have made positive changes and satisfactory results in most fields. Macro economy was stable, major balance factors of the national economy were basically ensured. Economic growth increased quarter by quarter and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth was estimated to reach 6.3-6.5 percent.
Economic restructuring yielded some initial results. The material and spiritual life care of citizens especially those in remote, border and island areas were intensified. Education and training continued reform to improve quality. Movement ‘the whole people build cultural life’ was promoted.
Other robustly implemented missions include building a pure and strong party and political system, promoting the strength of the great national unity and socialist democracy. Foreign relations and international integration was stepped up. Relations with partner countries were deepened substantially and efficiently.
National defense and security was reinforced to firmly protect the country’s independence, sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, national benefits and security. Peaceful and stable environment was sustained to develop the country quickly and sustainably.
In 2017, the world’s situation is forecast to happen complicatedly and economy to recover slowly and unequally with many latent risks. Strategic competition among big nations in the region will be severe.
Besides advantages, Vietnam will meet with low productivity, quality, efficiency and competitiveness. Capital demand will be huge to intensify national defense, security; protect national sovereignty and cope with climate change amid budget difficulties.
In that context, Vietnam needs to continue stabilizing the macro economy and create obvious changes in conducting three strategic breakthroughs including rapid and sustainable growth; boosting administrative reforms, fighting corruption and waste; building a modern administration serving the public and businesses.
In addition, the country will continue economic restructuring in line with growth model reform; increase productivity, quality, efficiency and competitiveness; encourage startups and develop businesses, ensure social security and take care of citizens’ life; develop culture, practice democracy and social justice.
Authorized agencies and citizens will take the initiative in coping with climate change and natural disasters, intensify resources management and environmental protection, further improve legal system and enforcement effectiveness and strengthen administrative reform and discipline.
Other missions are to keep the strategic initiative; patiently and resolutely protect national independence, sovereignty, territorial unity and integrity; uphold national security, political stabilization, social order and safety.
The efficiency of foreign relations and international integration will be enhanced to create a peaceful and stable environment to develop the country.
Party building
The 4th conference of the 12th Party Central Committee passed a resolution to enhance party building and rectification, prevent the degradation of political thought, morality and lifestyle as well as manifestations of “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” inside the party.
Aiming to fortify citizens’ belief in the party, the resolution straightly pointed out the real situation, issues, reasons and specific manifestations of degradation as well as “self-evolution” and “self-transformation”.
The resolution puts forward four groups of tasks and solutions which all level Party committees and organizations need to implement synchronously, comprehensively and effectively.
First, they should concentrate on leadership and instruction to improve the entire party awareness of the meaning, role, importance and necessity of learning, studying, creatively applying and developing Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought.
In addition, they must strictly carry out the mechanism of inspection, supervision and control to officials in high positions over their power exercise, ensuring that responsibilities go together with authority.
Collective and personal responsibilities need be clearly defined in each phases of handing affairs and there should have sanctions to tackle violations.
In short term, the resolution urges party committees and organizations to review, inspect and completely handle power exercise violation cases which have upset cadres, Party members and people.
Legal documents on administrative management need be improved to ensure transparence and publicity, contributing in eliminating mechanisms “ask for-give” and “approval-allocation”; prevent and repel corruption, negative issues such as “group benefits” and “backyard.”
Other negative issues are profit making in the management and use of budget, public assets and state own enterprises equitization, investment capital, natural resources, minerals, finance, banking, tax and customs and regular personnel.
Periodical and unexpected inspection over the performance of party resolutions and conclusions should be stepped up to ensure discipline.
Teams and individuals would be strictly handled for issuing incorrect and unsuitable documents or not implementing party resolutions and conclusions seriously. They should be commended and rewarded for effective implementation.
Party committees and organizations must abide by Politburo regulations on supervision and social feedback by the Vietnam Fatherlands Front, social political organizations, people, press and public opinions in building the Party and Government, combat and push back the degradation, “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” inside the party.
Successful diplomacy 2016
Vietnam continued obtained many important diplomatic achievements in bilateral and multilateral aspects.
Party, state and people diplomacy were implemented synchronously and effectively. Vietnam signed cooperation documents with many high level delegations from nations and international organizations during their working visits to the country.
The President and Vice President visited some important partner countries and joined multilateral conferences, contributing in heightening the position and influence of Vietnam in the world.
President Tran Dai Quang paid state visits to Laos, Cambodia, Brunei, Singapore, Cuba, Italy and the Vatican and participated in the 24th High-level Week of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum in Peru and the 16th Summit of the Francophone in Madagascar.
The state level working visits continued fortifying the close-knit and trust relationship between Vietnam and countries and international organizations, efficiently carrying out the foreign policy of diversification and multilateralization.
The consistent policy of the party and state is to protect supreme benefit of the nation and the people on the basis of international law, equality and mutual benefits and be proactive in international integration and cooperation.
In 2017, the President and vice President will positively implement foreign affairs programs and promote the independent, self-reliant, peaceful, friendship, cooperative and development foreign policy.
The country would continue to pursue the policy of multilateralising and diversifying relations, being proactive and positive in international integration and cooperation on the basis of respecting independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity; not intervening in internal affairs of each other; equality and mutual benefit.
Besides, Vietnam will boost and deepen the relationship with neighbors, nations in the region and big nations in the world; fortify the relationship with traditional friendly countries; set up relations with potential partners; take advantage of sympathy and wide support from the international community and overseas resources.
The country will closely combine party foreign activities with state diplomacy and people diplomacy; political with economic and cultural diplomacy; foreign relations with national defense and security to improve the country’s position and prestige in the world, contribute in successfully carrying out socioeconomic development missions, ensure national defense, security and global integration.
HCMC to strongly develop
According to President Tran Dai Quang, the entire party, army and people are entering a new revolutionary phase with alternating opportunities, advantageous and difficulties.
Profound lessons after 30 years of renovation have been summarized by the 12th Party Congress. Goals, directions and the system of missions as well as solutions clearly determined in the congress’ resolution will be the magnetic needle for the HCMC Party Committee in development cause.
They should be grasped thoroughly, acquired and concretized into action programs to speed up the city’s reform synchronously and comprehensively; actualize the target of building the city with good living quality, civilization, modernization and humanity; soon become one of big centers in economics, finance, commerce and science and technology in Southeast Asia.
The Party, State and people from all over the country always watch every step up of the city and appreciate its achievements as well as share difficulties and concerns.
The President wanted the city to futher strongly develop with more breakthroughs in the country’s path of industrialization and modernization, and continue creating a strong motive power for the country and the southern region’s development.
