Hanoi (VNA) – Party General SecretaryNguyen Phu Trong has expressed his belief that with new momentum and under thesound leadership of the Party and the effective management of the State, theParty, people and army will overcome all challenges to build a prosperouscountry.
The Party leader made the statement at a meetingheld on the occasion of the traditional Tet holiday at the Presidential Palace,Hanoi, on February 13.
The meeting saw the presence of incumbent and formerParty, State and National Assembly leaders, including former Party GeneralSecretaries Le Kha Phieu and Nong Duc Manh, President Tran Dai Quang, formerPresident Tran Duc Luong, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, National Assembly(NA) Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, former NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung and Presidentof the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Tran Thanh Man, among others.

In his remarks, Party General Secretary Trongreviewed achievements Vietnam has recorded over the past year across fields,will all the 13 set targets fulfilled or overfulfilled for the first time.
He highlighted the country’s GDP growth rate at 6.81percent, macro-economic stability, curbed inflation and low budgetoverspending, adding that the total export-import revenue hit the record highof 425 billion USD.
Besides, production and business activities of theindustrial, agricultural and service sectors have recovered and developed, whileprogresses were seen in tourism, culture, social affairs and crime combat,contributing to consolidating political security and ensuring social order andsafety, the Party chief said.
He also stressed that 2017 is the most successfulyear in external affairs, citing as examples a range of events such as theVietnam-Laos Solidarity and Friendship Year, the Vietnam-Cambodia FriendshipYear and APEC Year 2017.
“We have resolutely and persistently protectednational independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and ensuredpolitical security, social order and safety, and the country’s strategicinterests, while maintaining a peaceful, stable and cooperative environment, maintaininggood ties with neighbouring countries and creating a favourable environment fornational construction and defence,” he said.
Such achievements have contributed to consolidatingpublic trust, promoting patriotism and national pride, and bringing the countryforwards on the path of Doi Moi, he said, attributing the results to the Partyguidelines that meet the people’s aspiration, as well as national solidarityand joint efforts and consensus made by the entire Party, people and army.

The Party leader honoured the contributions ofveteran revolutionaries, Heroic Vietnamese Mothers, officials, Party members,the people, soldiers, and Vietnamese expat. He also expressed thank for thesupport and cooperation of foreign countries, international organisations andfriends.
The Party leader stressed that 2018 is a decisiveyear in implementing the five-year development plan from 2016-2020.
He called on the entire Party, people and army tomake greater efforts to carry out the tasks set in the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress, reminding that apart from opportunities and favourableconditions, Vietnam is facing multiple new challenges.
Accordingly, priority should be given to completingthe socialist-oriented market economic institutions, creating more remarkablechanges in economic restructuring in combination with growth model reform, andimproving productivity and economic competitiveness, the Party chief said.
At the same time, it is necessary to push forward thefundamental and comprehensive reform of the education-training sector, humanresources development and scientific-technological applications in order to makethe best use of opportunities generated by the fourth industrial revolution, hesaid.

The leader listed other tasks like strengtheningpeople-based national defence and public security, intensifying externalrelations in national defence and security, safeguarding national security,social order and safety, and fighting plots and sabotaging activities of hostileforces.
He called for more efforts in building a pure,strong, effective Party and political system, as well as the resolve to combatcorruption, wastefulness and other bad deeds, in order to consolidate publictrust in the Party and State.
Hosts and guests raised toasts to the success of thenation’s revolutionary cause, the growth of the Party, prosperity of thecountry and happiness of the people. -VNA
VNA