COVID-19 prevention and control and foreign affairs under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV).

Workers at a factory

The article said among nearly 30 countries that posted positive gross domestic product (GDP) growth in 2020, Vietnam emerged with a growth rate of 2.91 percent. Vietnam’s trade revenue rose by 3.6 percent in the first 11 months of the year to 490 billion USD.

In such context, Hanoi and Moscow also saw positive progress in economic and trade ties. Vietnam was Russia’s largest trade partner in ASEAN and fifth largest among the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum’s member economies.

Russia’s statistics showed that its trade with Vietnam increased by 11.5 percent to 4.6 billion USD in the first 10 months of 2020.

The author attributed these achievements to the country’s successful fight against the COVID-19 pandemic under the CPV’s leadership, saying that measures taken by Vietnam were not only drastic and strong but also open and transparent.

As a result, around 1,500 infection cases were recorded in Vietnam in the past year. In particular, public response to the authorities’ actions was extremely positive.

The paper said that the 13th National Congress of the CPV is scheduled to take place from January 25 to February 2, with the aim of assessing the implementation of resolutions adopted at the last congress five years ago.

It cited an article written by General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee and President Nguyen Phu Trong last August, as saying that the poverty rate decreased from 9.9 percent in 2016 to less than 3 percent by 2020. The leader also emphasised the mission of turning the country into a developing nation with a modern-oriented industry and escaping from the group of states with lower middle income by 2025.

Meanwhile, by 2030, which marks the CPV’s 100th founding anniversary, Vietnam expects to become a developing country with a modern industry and its people having upper middle income. In 2045, when the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, celebrates its 100th establishment anniversary, the Southeast Asian nation will become a developed country with high income.

Regarding external policy, the author said that Vietnam achieved numerous successes in 2020, and its position has been enhanced in Southeast Asia in particular and the Asia-Pacific region in general. As the Chair of ASEAN, Vietnam well organised the bloc’s activities in the format of video conference and promoted the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement. The paper noted that on the first day of 2020, Vietnam became a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, with its membership lasting until the end of 2021.

Having highly appreciated Vietnam's foreign policy of peace, the author believed that both Vietnam and Russia, with a similar approach, will contribute to strengthening peace and stability in the region./.VNA