The 10th Vietnam People’s Army (VPA)’s Party Congress for 2015-2020 commenced in Hanoi on September 22 with the attendance of 450 delegates representing hundreds of thousands of Party members in the VPA.

Vice Secretary of the Central Military Commission and Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh speaks at the congress.

In his opening speech, Vice Secretary of the Central Military Commission and Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh highlighted that the congress is intended to review the implementation of the resolution from the 9 th VPA Party Congress and determine military and defence-related orientations, goals and missions and those for consolidating the VPA’s Party organisation through 2020.

The event will also debate and give feedback on the Party Central Committee’s draft documents to be submitted to the 12th National Party Congress in early 2016 while electing delegates to the national congress, he added.

In his speech at the function, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, who is also Secretary of the Central Military Commission, congratulated the VPA’s Party organisation and the entire army on their accomplishments over the last five years.

Analysing the domestic and international situations which directly affect the realisation of military and defence missions, the leader stressed that the Party’s policy is to optimise the combined power of the entire nation and political system to firmly safeguard national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity while protecting the Party, State, people and socialist regime.

The Party also works to protect doi moi (reform) efforts, national industrialisation and modernisation as well as the national interests and culture; consolidate national defence; and ensure a peaceful environment, national security, political stability and social order and safety, he noted.

General Secretary Trong expressed approval of the orientations and tasks set for the 2015-2020 in the congress’s Political Report, laying stress on five key missions including continuing to successfully carry out the Party’s guidelines, viewpoints and policies along with the State’s policies and laws regarding military and national defence tasks.

The VPA also needs to study strategies and advise the Party and State on military and defence-related guidelines, mechanisms, policies and laws, the General Secretary said, urging the armed forces to work harder to build defence and military strategies and blueprints for ensuring defence in strategic areas in the northwest, Central Highlands, southwest, border, sea and island regions.

The military Party organisation must also closely coordinate with other sectors, forces and localities to prevent and deal with complicated incidents in a timely fashion.

Meanwhile, more effort should be put into building an army that is modern, politically strong and completely faithful to the Party, State, people and socialist regime and enhancing the Party’s absolute and direct leadership and the State’s concentrated and consistent management over the army.

The VPA Party organisation must solidify the close-knit relationship between the army and people and actively work to counter wrongful viewpoints so as to help defeat “peaceful evolution” plots of hostile forces along with the “self-evolution”, “self-transformation” and “de-politicalisation of the army”, the Party chief noted.

He also asked the Party organisation of the army to promote international integration and improve the effectiveness of defence external relations in accordance with Party guidelines and viewpoints.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong expressed his belief that the VPA Party organisation will lead the entire army to continue upholding the traditions of the Party, nation and the heroic Vietnam People’s Army, contributing more to national development and protection.

The 10th Party Congress of the VPA is scheduled to last through September 24.

Khanh Hoa convenes Party Congress for 2015-2020

The central province of Khanh Hoa convened the 17th Party Congress for the 2015-2020 tenure on September 22 with the presence of 350 delegates representing more than 35,000 local Party members.

Addressing the congress, Politburo member and Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Sinh Hung advised the province to accelerate the drive to build new-style rural areas and effectively operate the Van Phong special economic zone and other key economic areas to turn Khanh Hoa into a middle-range province in the country.

The province needs to liaise with neighbouring localities to utilise its strength in order to realise the socio-economic development strategy for the coastal south central and Central Highlands regions, he said.

The NA Chairman also emphasised that the provincial Party Committee should strengthen national defence and security with a focus on building the Truong Sa island district into a stronghold of the country’s sea and island sovereignty.

He urged the congress to select outstanding representatives of the province to attend the 12th National Party Congress.

The provincial Party Committee’s Political Report, delivered by the committee’s Vice Secretary Nguyen Tan Tuan, said the total capital for local socio-economic development from 2010-2015 topped 110 trillion VND (5 billion USD), a 2-3 fold increase from that of 2005-2010.

The local economy has shifted strongly towards services-tourism, industry-construction and agro-forestry-fisheries, with growing proportion of sea-based economic sectors, particular tourism. Nearly 15 million guests visited Khanh Hoa during the period, including over 3.5 million foreigners, generating revenues in excess of 20 trillion VND (909 million USD).

Three key economic zones are being developed including Cam Ranh Bay, Van Phong economic zone and Nha Trang city.

Last year, the province contributed over 15 trillion VND (681 million USD) to the State budget, up 1.4 times from the figure of 2010.

This year, the province’s gross domestic product per capita is estimated at more than 2,400 USD and total exports are expected to exceed 1.25 billion USD.

The Congress is due to last until September 24.

VNA