Vietnam has continued to show marked successes in the fight against the pandemic and in economic growth, mainly due to strong political will and drastic measures by the Government and citizens.

At an apparel company in Ha Tinh province (Photo: VNA)

In an article published on January 21, the author said the country’s upcoming change in leadership, after the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), will bring further new developments.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Vietnam has become a bright spot, a model for successfully containing the pandemic. As the global crisis stretches into its second year, Vietnam continues efforts to research, produce and conduct clinical trials for COVID-19 vaccines.

Vietnam saw multilateral diplomacy milestones last year, including through its role as ASEAN Chair for 2020, a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021, and Chair of the 41st General Assembly of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA 41).

On the economic front, Vietnam achieved a growth rate of 2.91 percent last year and actively pushed new free trade agreements, including the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

Additionally, Vietnam has also shown progress in technology and education through the pandemic. In 2020, Vietnam made advancements in developing 5G networks, using equipment manufactured by local industry and telecoms group Viettel. Meanwhile, the country saw students succeed in global academic competitions despite the impacts of the pandemic.

On the digital front, Vietnam accelerated a national digital transformation that has already changed much of the country’s public administration. In June 2020, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc approved a National Digital Transformation Program, to be implemented by 2025, to develop the economy based on digital technologies.

The article quoted Prof. Carl Thayer from the University of New South Wales in Australia as saying that Vietnam’s response to the pandemic has increased its standing regionally and globally.

Other analysts also pointed to Vietnam’s recent role on the UN Security Council, including its support for expanding coordination between ASEAN, the UN Security Council and other UN bodies, as well as pushing for global adherence to international law and the UN Charter.

The CPV is set to convene its 13th National Congress from January 25 to February 2. With the country coming off of a strong year in 2020, the country’s next administration will likely continue to steer the country towards its socio-economic development targets as well as multilateral goals around peace, security and prosperity in the region and globally, the article said./.VNA