On the occasion of the 14th National Party Congress opening in the capital city, Politburo member and Hanoi Party Secretary Nguyen Duy Ngoc recently took part in an interview about Hanoi's outstanding achievements in the past term. 

With the motto "Discipline, professionalism - breakthrough, creativity - efficiency, sustainability," Hanoi identifies a strong determination for action, promoting its central and locomotive role to create the foundation and motivation for the country's development in the new era.

Part 1: The ‘ready’ and ‘pioneering’ capital city

Looking back at the 13th Party Congress term and 40 years of renovation, how do you assess the outstanding contributions of Hanoi to the country's overall achievements?

The 13th Party Congress term and the 40-year journey of renovation have created important, comprehensive, and breakthrough development steps for the country, affirming the firm spirit, intelligence, and aspiration of our nation. With its position as the heart of the country, Hanoi always deeply perceives its pioneering and exemplary responsibility in implementing the guidelines and resolutions of the Central Committee, especially the strategic decisions of the Politburo, the Secretariat, and the General Secretary, creating a spillover motivation for the entire nation.

Promoting potential and strengths with a tradition of solidarity, firm spirit, and creativity, the City's Party Committee, government, and people have overcome all difficulties and challenges to successfully implement the Resolution of the 17th City Party Congress for the 2020-2025 term.

Notably, 2025 marked a breakthrough year. Hanoi took the lead in restructuring the organizational apparatus and implementing the two-tier local government model; consolidating 526 wards, communes and townships into 126 wards and communes. The political system under the two-tier local government model began operating, gradually resolving bottlenecks and taking the lead in decentralization, administrative reform and digital transformation. 

Amid the simultaneous execution of many new and unprecedented tasks, the city maintained smooth operations, fulfilled key development targets and indicators, and ensured three pillars: high economic growth, firm national defense and security, and social welfare.                                                                

For the first time in many years, Hanoi met and exceeded all 24 out of 24 major development targets. GRDP growth reached 8.16 percent, exceeding the target of 8 percent and significantly higher than in 2024 (6.52 percent).

The capital city’s economy size reached approximately $63.5 billion. Average income per capita fetched $7,200. State budget revenue totaled VND711 trillion, equivalent to 138.4 percent of the estimate and the highest level in many years. Disbursement of public investment capital reached nearly VND90 trillion.

The 14th National Party Congress is being held in Hanoi and is seen as a milestone opening a new era of national advancement. How has the city prepared itself to be worthy of initiating this historic journey?

These days, Hanoi is immersed in a particularly significant political atmosphere as the entire Party, people and armed forces look toward the 14th National Party Congress. This is a historic event that will shape the strategic vision and action platform for the country’s next development phase. Hanoi is not only honored to host the event, but also bears the highest political responsibility before the entire Party and people.

We clearly understand that after 40 years of renewal, the country has accumulated sufficient momentum and capacity to enter a new development phase, the era of strong national advancement. As the “heart” of the country, Hanoi must be the place where the spirit, vision and reform requirements established by the 14th Party Congress are most clearly and earliest manifested. 

The shared mindset of the entire political system and the people of the capital can be summed up in two words: ready and pioneering. “Ready” in every aspect to serve and organize the Congress safely, carefully and solemnly; and “pioneering” in concretizing and bringing the Congress’s decisions into life as quickly and effectively as possible.

The city has proactively and drastically implemented political tasks, concretizing the central leadership's ideas into the city's action program. Grasping the directing spirit of General Secretary To Lam: "“Hanoi says it acts quickly, acts correctly, acts effectively, and follows through to the end”; the Hanoi Party Committee and the entire political system have affirmed strong political resolve, fostering a proactive and pioneering spirit, daring to think, daring to act and daring to take responsibility. 

Hanoi is determined to lead in realizing the Party’s strategic vision, turning the nation’s aspiration for strength and prosperity into tangible results that the people of the capital and the entire country can see, feel and benefit from.

Tran Thuong