Hanoi (VNA) – National Assembly (NA) Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue has highlighted the NA's major outcomes in the first year of the 15th tenure and priorities for 2022 during an interview granted to the press as the country is preparing to welcome the Lunar New Year (Tet).

The top legislator noted that in 2021, despite complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic in many localities, Vietnam carefully prepared for and successfully organised the 13th National Party Congress and the election of deputies to the 15th NA and all-level People’s Councils in the 2021-2026 tenure.

Right in the first session of the 15th NA, for the first time, the lawmakers debated and approved five-year plans, enabling the Government, sectors and localities to actively realise resolutions of the 13th National Party Congress and the NA, which manifested the determination in reforming NA operations, he said.

Hue expressed his delight at the country’s socio-economic development achievements, with political security and social order ensured, national defence, security sovereignty and border safeguarded, and foreign affairs deployed synchronously, comprehensively, flexibly, diversely and effectively, thereby contributing to the  maintenance of a peaceful, stable and favourable environment for national development and the enhancement of relations with foreign partners, and enhancing the country’s position in the international arena.

He said that the NA has completed a huge workload and coordinated with the Government and agencies in the political system to settle urgent issues to effectively implement the dual target of controlling COVID-19 and boosting socio-economic recovery, and creating a legal framework for the long-term growth of the nation.

According to the Chairman, in the first two plenary sessions, the NA completed its apparatus and adopted the plans for the 2021-2025 period, including the socio-economic development plan; the plan on national finance, capital borrowing and public debt payment; the plan on middle-term public investment; the investment policy for the National Target Programmes on new-style rural area building and sustainable poverty reduction; and the economic restructuring plan.

Regarding the NA’s external affairs, he said that despite impacts of COVID-19, bilateral and multilateral parliamentary diplomatic activities still took place busily in both in-person and online formats with fruitful outcomes, spreading the message that Vietnam is always a responsible member of the international community.

The legislature actively conducted vaccine and economic diplomacy, while working to strengthen multilateral parliamentary cooperation to encourage countries and vaccine producers to prioritise global solutions such as transferring vaccine production technologies to competent countries, thus increasing COVID-19 vaccine sources, he stated.

The top legislator went on to affirm that the NA will ensure that the building and completion of the legal system will be put under the close direction of the Party, toward to the target for the people and humanitarian and humanity purposes, respecting and protecting human rights as well as the rights of citizens, democracy, equality, discipline and social order.

The NA will also collect more social feedback and increase people’s supervision mechanism over the implementation of State power, he stressed.

Mentioning priorities of the NA in 2022, he said that the legislature convened an extraordinary session right at the beginning of the year to debate urgent matters that directly affect the country’s recovery and development in the new normal, including a draft resolution on fiscal and monetary policies supporting the socio-economic recovery and development plan, and the investment policy for the eastern section of the North-South Expressway in the 2021-2025 period.

The NA and NA Standing Committee will be more active and work more closely with the Government and State agencies to create a synchronous and effective legal foundation for the completion of all plans and targets for 2022, while focusing on removing difficulties facing production and business activities and giving helpful support to people and enterprises, optimising opportunities to promote socio-economic development and maintain long-term growth motivations, ensuring macroeconomic stability and the resilience of the economy, enhancing the efficiency of law enforcement, paying more attention to cultural development and social welfare, and bettering external affairs, he stressed./.