Party leader plans to consolidate public trust

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Nguyễn Phú Trọng pays a visit to Tây An Village in Thái Bình Province’s Tiền Hải District as the Lunar New Year festival approaches. 

The General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV), Nguyễn Phú Trọng, has emphasised the need to consolidate public trust to enable the country to push forward.

In an exclusive interview with the Vietnam News Agency on the threshold of the Lunar New Year, Year of the Dog, the Party leader highlighted the country’s outstanding achievements in 2017 and outlined the main tasks for 2018.

He said the fight against corruption had made marked progress thanks to drastic measures in making deeds match words.

Trọng said that last year, many serious cases of corruption and economic crimes involving senior party and goverment officials were discovered and brought to court.

He said that in the first days of 2018, several major corruption cases were brought to trial, demonstrating determination to carry the combat further, leaving no “prohibited zone” in the fight against the evil.

Trọng said the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat and the Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission imposed disciplinary measures on many Party Committees and Party organisations at different levels, as well as on Party officials and members, including those holding high positions, for violating the law.

However, he said, it was even more important to prevent wrongdoings by enforcing regulations, laws and policies.

“Power must be kept within mechanisms,” the Party chief stressed.

He said Việt Nam had fulfilled and overfulfilled all 13 socio-economic targets for the first time in the context of multiple challenges.

The Party leader also recalled outstanding outcomes in external affairs, as reflected through the country’s successful hosting of APEC Year 2017, the 18 high-level visits by Vietnamese leaders to 19 countries - and the country’s attendance at eight international events. In the year, Việt Nam also welcomed 36 heads of state and prime ministers.

Talking about key tasks in 2018, he spoke of the need to create stronger changes in economic restructuring in tandem with growth-model reform; improving productivity and competitiveness, adding that  resources had to be allocated and used effectively.

Along with economic development, Trọng said more attention should be paid to cultural and social development and the improvement of people’s living standards.

He also called for more efforts to strengthen the Party and political system, prevent and stop the degradation of political ideology, morality and lifestyle as well as signs of “self-evolution”, and “self-transformation”.

PM pays tribute to late Government, State leaders

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc offered incense in tribute to Vo Chi Cong, late President of the State Council, Vice Chairman of the Council of Ministers, and advisor to the Party Central Committee 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh offered incense to commemorate late Government and State leaders in Ho Chi Minh City on February 10 on the occasion of the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) 2018.

The PM paid tribute to lawyer Nguyen Huu Tho who was Acting President of Vietnam from April 1980 to July 1981, Chairman of the National Assembly from 1981 to 1987, and Vice President of the State Council from 1981 to 1992.

The lawyer also held various important positions throughout his revolutionary career, including Chairman of the Central Committee of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam and Chairman of the Consultative Council of the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the Republic of South Vietnam.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc also offered incense in tribute to Vo Chi Cong, late President of the State Council, Vice Chairman of the Council of Ministers, and advisor to the Party Central Committee, whose life was closely connected with the revolutionary cause and important historical events of the Vietnamese Party and people. He was said to be an outstanding disciple of President Ho Chi Minh.

The same day, PM Phuc accompanied by Deputy PM Truong Hoa Binh offered incense to commemorate late Chairman of the Council of Ministers Pham Hung – who devoted his life to the Party’s revolutionary cause.

Visited the family of late Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet, the Government leader recalled the late PM’s contributions during 1988 - 1997 when the country began implementing the open-door policy to integrate into the region and the world.

PM Phuc stressed that with his strategic vision, Vo Van Kiet put forth important policies for sustainable development in the Mekong Delta – which the current Government is pursuing – to turn the delta into a well-off region and adaptive to climate change.

PM makes working trip to Military Zone 5

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc makes working trip to Military Zone 5 

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and a Government delegation visited and had a working session with the Military Zone 5 High Command in the central city of Da Nang on February 11.

Commander of the Military Zone 5 Lieutenant General Nguyen Long Cang said, in order to ensure combat readiness, the zone’s units have conducted regular drills while focusing on increasing Party members and training personnel.

Located in a politically strategic and natural disaster-prone region, the Military Zone 5 has paid attention to fighting hostile forces who attempt to sabotage the national construction cause.

Addressing the session, PM Phuc hailed soldiers, officers, Party members of the Military Zone 5 and locals for their efforts and achievements.

The Prime Minister urged the leaders of the Military Zone 5 to ensure all officers and soldiers will continue staying alert amid the complicated and unpredictable developments of socio-political and security situation in the region and the world.

The zone should push forwards with the building of the people-based national defence, through keeping close connection with local communities and engaging more in the local economic development process and the provision of support for residents in disadvantaged areas.

He agreed on principle with the Military Zone 5’s suggestion on building patrol roads along the border line and upgrading military barracks.

In 2017, units under the Military Zone 5 built over 400 charity houses, found and reburied over 230 sets of martyrs’ remains.

It also offered assistance to Cambodian and Lao partners.

Prime Minister visits hospital in Da Nang

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc presents gifts to the C Hospital

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc on February 11 paid a visit to C Hospital, the second largest public hospital in the central city of Da Nang and one of three hospitals dedicated to caring for senior officials in the country.

The Government leader lauded the achievements of the medical staff, whose efforts have been highly regarded by people and officials in the Central and Central Highlands regions.

PM Phuc asked the doctors and nurses to work hard in the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday.

He ordered the city’s authorities to work with the Ministry of Health to increase the number of beds for patients from 650 to 700. He noted that aside from infrastructure, hiring qualified medical staff also needs to be a priority.

Later in the day, PM Phuc laid a wreath of flowers and paid tribute to war heroes, as well as held talks with veterans and senior officials in Que Son district of the south central province of Quang Nam.

Havana ceremony highlights significance of 1968 General Offensive

Vietnamese Ambassador to Cuba Nguyen Trung Thanh speaks at the ceremony in Havana on February 9 

The Vietnamese Embassy in Cuba and the Cuban Institute for Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) held a ceremony in Havana on February 9 to mark 50 years since Vietnam’s General Offensive and Uprising in the spring of 1968.

The offensive began in the early morning of January 31, 1968 when liberation forces simultaneously launched attacks on bases of the US troops and the US-backed South Vietnam government in cities such as Hue, Da Nang, Quy Nhon and Saigon, and hundreds of towns from Quang Tri to Ca Mau.

The military campaign destroyed huge amounts of facilities and logistics used by the US and the southern regime’s armies. People in rural areas also took this opportunity to rise up against the US-backed administration.

The offensive marked a strategic turning point for the resistance war against the US and its allies. It caused the US a ‘sudden shock’, disrupted their strategic plan, shook the White House, the Pentagon and all of the US, and forced then US President Johnson to deescalate the war and agree to sign the historic Paris Peace Accord. The victory also helped lead to the liberation of southern Vietnam and the national reunification in 1975.

Addressing hundreds of participants in the Havana ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Trung Thanh noted the valuable lessons of the offensive. He said the campaign highlighted Vietnamese people’s aspiration for independence and freedom, the creativity in making guidelines and directing the revolutionary struggle, the strength of the great national unity bloc, the resolve to fight and win, the daring to confront the world’s strongest war machine, and the pure international solidarity.

He stressed that the 50th anniversary of the General Offensive and Uprising coincides with the time Vietnam has attained a number of major reform achievements. The country is facing new development opportunities as well as difficulties and challenges. The Vietnamese people are now even more aware of the importance of the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the resolve to fight and win in the struggle for national liberation and in peace and national development and protection.

The diplomat also underscored the precious contribution by global friends, including Cuba. The Latin American nation was one of the first countries to recognise the National Front for the Liberation of the South of Vietnam, open an embassy in the liberated region, and assign an ambassador to the Provisional Revolutionary Government of the then Republic of South Vietnam. 

Notably, then Cuban President Fidel Castro was the only foreign leader to cross the 17th parallel north to visit the liberated region in southern Vietnam in September 1973 during the wartime, Thanh added.

ICAP President Fernando Gonzalez Llort said the 1968 General Offensive and Uprising marked a turning point and resounded around the world, adding that lessons from history will be helpful for building the future.

At the ceremony, Dr Ruvisley Gonzalez from the Cuban institute for international policy studies reviewed the key developments of the offensive, along with global reactions then. Meanwhile, veteran journalist Marta Rojas recounted her memories of the southern battlefield of Vietnam and the war against the US of Vietnamese people.

Vietnam wishes to augment all-around cooperation with Nigeria

Vietnam always treasures and and desire to boost friendship and all-around cooperation with Nigeria, said Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Anh Tuan at a recent meeting in the capital city of Abuja with Nigerian President Muhammad Buhari to present his letter of credentials.

The Vietnamese diplomat conveyed greetings from President Tran Dai Quang to President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigerian people and briefed his host on Vietnam’s socio-economic development and the sound relations between the two countries.

He vowed his utmost efforts to contribute to the development of the bilateral ties, particularly in the areas of economics trade and agriculture.

The Nigerian President in turn hailed Vietnam’s achievements in the country’s doi moi (renewal) process and suggested stepping up cooperation in the fields of Vietnam’s strength such as agriculture and aquaculture.

Earlier, Ambassador Tuan had a meeting with Nigerian Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama on February 6, during which Tuan conveyed a diplomatic note to the Minister, asking Nigeria to continue its support for Vietnam’s candidacy for non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council during 2020-2021.

On the occasion, he conveyed Deputy Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Pham Binh Minh’s invitation to Geoffrey Onyeama to visit Vietnam. 

Vietnamese, Chinese officials discuss ways of further cooperation

Vietnamese Ambassador to China Dang Minh Khoi has discussed with an official of the Communist Party of China ways to augment stronger cooperation between the two countries in 2018.

At a recent meeting, Khoi and Wang Yajun, Assistant Minister of the International Liaison Department of the Communist Party of China’s Central Committee, reviewed special landmarks in Vietnam-China ties in 2017.

They said that for the first time the Party General Secretary of one country visited the other in one year and that both sides reached important awareness on orientations for stronger development of bilateral ties in the new period. Two-way trade surpassed the US$100 billion target while exchanges of tourist arrivals between both nations rose to nearly 10 million.  

Khoi and Wang also discussed a score of measures to strengthen exchanges between the two Parties. 

On the occasion, Ambassador Khoi thanked for assistance from the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee’s International Liaison Department toward the success of high-ranking visits in past time, asking the agency to further their effective coordination of Vietnam – China joint activities in the time to come.

Their meeting took place as part of  Khoi's visit to the CPC Central Committee’s International Liaison Department, which is in charge of promoting, coordinating and implementing the CPC’s cooperative activities with foreign parities.