Havana (VNA) – General Secretary of the CommunistParty of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong was granted theDoctor Honoris Causa title in political science by the University of Havana(UH) to recognise his important contributions to Vietnam’s nation-buildingcause and practical and theoretical views he shared with Cuba at a ceremony inHavana on March 29 morning (local time).

General Secretary Trong thanked the UH andconsidered this as a vivid demonstration of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC)and the Cuba State and people’s friendship towards Vietnam. He also appreciatedthe UH’s training of generations of Vietnamese students, many of whom havebecome leaders or leading experts in different fields in Vietnam

He then delivered a speech at the UH, focusing on thepromotion of sustainable development and social equality as seen from Vietnam’sreforms.

The event, broadcast live on national radio andtelevision channels of Cuba, was also attended by Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez,Politburo member and First Vice President of the Councils of State andMinisters of Cuba, along with many leaders of Cuban ministries and sectors.

Addressing UH lecturers and students and Cubanofficials, the CPC leader, who is on a State visit to the Latin Americannation, talked about Vietnam’s efforts to settle issues relating to sustainabledevelopment and social equality, noting that harmoniously solving therelationship between sustainable development and social equality reflects thepre-eminence and humanism of socialism that Vietnam and Cuba are building.

He stressed the CPV’s consistent viewpoint ofputting human at the centre of the development strategy, seeing human as boththe target and the driving force of development.

Vietnam targets rapid and sustainabledevelopment as well as harmonious combination of economic growth and socialprogress and equality, which matches regional and global agenda, including theUN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

[Vietnam, Cuba look to boost economic relations to new height]

In Vietnam, the Doi moi (Renewal) over the lastthree decades is an intensive and comprehensive transformation process toachieve the target of wealthy people, a strong country, and a democratic,equitable and civilised society, he said.

Vietnam’s economy has attained and kept a fastgrowth rate for a relatively long period. Poverty reduction and social welfarepolicies have been implemented effectively. The rate of low-income earnersdropped from 58 percent in the early 1990s to under 10 percent in 2010, whichmeans about 30 million Vietnamese people escaped from poverty in only twodecades.

With right and effective policies, the countryhas curbed the increase of inequality that usually occurs during the shift to amarket economy in the countries with the same development level, GeneralSecretary Trong noted.

He emphasised that the market economy itselfdoes not lead to socialism, but to successfully build socialism, it is a mustto develop a market economy in an appropriate manner.

It is a fact that the more reforms are made, themore challenges and difficulties occur alongside new opportunities, he said,adding that the Fourth Industrial Revolution is creating many problems in termsof growth model when the competitive edge belongs to the sectors basing onknowledge and high technology, and the most important development factor isstill human resources.

Meanwhile, shortcomings that have existed for along time in the economy and many social aspects in Vietnam cannot be addressedovernight, requiring the country to adopt synchronous solutions, suitableroadmap, and resolute and persistent directions, basing on firm scientificground, he added.

The visiting leader said the reforms in Vietnamand the economic model update in Cuba cannot be done in one time, noting theneed for the countries to be patient and learn lessons from the implementationof the reforms and update.

In his speech, he expressed his belief that withthe visionary leadership of the PCC, the Cuban Government’s drastic actions,and people’s support, the country will definitely obtain even greaterachievements and successfully build socialism.-VNA