PARTY GENERAL SECRETARY: Nguyễn Phú Trọng. VNA/VNS Photo Trí Dũng

Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng talks to the Vietnam News Agency ahead of the New Year 2023 and the 93rd anniversary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (February 3, 2023).

Could you tell us about some of the outstanding achievements in the development of the country in 2022?

Reviewing 2022, we can see that the world and the country have faced more difficulties than forecast. The world has undergone rapid, complicated, unpredictable and unprecedented changes. Meanwhile, the country has made great efforts to restore socio-economic development while dealing with the negative impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, seasonal epidemics and natural disasters.

With the unanimity and determination of the whole political system, Việt Nam has achieved and exceeded 14 out of 15 planned targets. GDP growth reached about 8 per cent, higher than the plan of 6 - 6.5 per cent. The main sectors of the economy have recovered and strongly developed.

State budget revenue increased by 20 per cent compared to 2021; total social investment capital increased by 12.5 per cent over the previous year, of which disbursed foreign direct investment reached US$22 billion, up 16 per cent. Total import and export turnover reached a record of $740 billion, up 10 per cent compared to 2021 (Việt Nam continues to be in the group of 25 leading economies in terms of trade).

BOOMING TRADE: Loading cargo at Hải Phòng Port. According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Việt Nam's total import and export turnover was around US$732 billion in 2022, beating the previous record of 600 billion set in 2021. VNA/VNS Photo An Đăng

The cultural sector has received more attention, especially since the National Cultural Conference at the end of 2021. We are focusing on building the national value system, cultural value system, family value system, and human value system going forward.

Many large-scale cultural, sports and entertainment events, especially the 31st SEA Games, have been held successfully. Education and health sectors have gradually been consolidated with many innovations after the COVID-19 pandemic, meeting people's demand for learning and healthcare.

Social policies, especially those for people with significant contributions to revolution, businesses and people severely affected by the pandemic and natural disasters, have been promptly deployed, ensuring social security while stabilising and improving people's lives.

National defence and security have been strengthened; national independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity have been firmly protected; political security, social order and safety have been maintained; foreign relations continue to be deepened.

The building of the Party and the political system, fighting against corruption and negativity, have continued to be enhanced from the central to grass-roots level, creating positive changes.

MEDICAL AID: The city of Lạng Sơn provides free medical exams to those who have done meritorious service. Social policies for people who have rendered meritorious services, as well as those assisting businesses, workers, and people affected by the pandemic and natural disasters, have all been swiftly implemented in the last year. VNA/VNS Photo Anh Tuấn

These results have been achieved, first of all, thanks to the close, timely and proper leadership of the Party; the effective supervision of the National Assembly; the methodical administration of the Government; the close coordination of sectors and levels; the keen participation of the whole political system and efforts of the whole Party, the people and the armed forces. With a unanimous spirit, Việt Nam has gradually overcome difficulties in successfully achieving its objectives and tasks.

However, the time to come still holds many potential difficulties. We must not let our guard down. We must continue effectively controlling the pandemic and newly arising diseases and put all our efforts into socio-economic recovery and development.

We must maintain macroeconomic stability, control inflation, and balance the economy; accelerate economic restructuring in association with innovation, improve internal capacity, autonomy, resilience and adaptability; consolidate new growth drivers; and speed up strategic breakthroughs such as the socio-economic Development and Recovery Programme, three National Target Programmes, and projects to build a modern infrastructure system, especially national key projects.

On top of this, it is essential to improve the quality of human resources, promote science and technology, digital transformation, green transformation, and innovation, focus on developing culture and education, ensuring social security while constantly improving people's lives.

We should strictly manage and effectively use land and resources, protect the environment, and proactively respond to climate change; concentrate on building the Party and the political system; step up the fight against corruption; consolidate national defence and security; firmly protect independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity; maintain political security, social order and safety; and actively integrate into the world extensively while improving efficiency in foreign affairs.

The key tasks in the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress have been implemented at all levels in 2022. How would you evaluate these steps?

In the past year, the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress was drastically implemented, concretised into thematic resolutions of the Central Committee, the Politburo, practical action programmes of the National Assembly and the Government, which ministries have thoroughly grasped, alongside departments, branches, party officials and members, and the entire people.

In the 5th and 6th conferences, the Party Central Committee thoroughly understood and concretised all the core contents and major issues mentioned in the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress, such as the management and use of land; agriculture, farmers, rural areas; collective economic development; the National Master Plan for the period of 2021 - 2030; industrialisation and modernisation by 2030; building grassroots party organisations and party members; continuing to build perfect socialist rule of law and renew the Party's leadership. These are practical issues to the people, playing an important role in the country's socio-economic development, as well as the purity and strength of the Party and the political system.

As we all know, each region has its own characteristics. To promote the potential of each region, besides the general development guidelines and policies for the whole country, it is necessary to have specific development guidelines and policies. Before this tenure, regional development had been implemented through several thematic resolutions of the Politburo of the previous sessions, but the results did not meet expectations, while the potential advantages of regions have not yet been properly taken.

Therefore, the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress has set out the goals for better taking and promoting the advantages of each region in terms of infrastructure, natural conditions, geo-economics, human resources; and intra-regional and inter-regional linkages, creating new development space.

The Politburo has concretised this direction into six thematic resolutions on developing six key regions: the Northern Midlands and Mountains, the Mekong Delta region, the Central Highlands, the Southeast region; the North Central region, and the Central Coastal region, and the Red River Delta region. National conferences were held shortly thereafter to bring a thorough understanding of the contents of these resolutions.

I have repeatedly emphasised that properly implementing each resolution is a crucial and decisive issue.

A positive step that can be seen is that, right after such conferences, the Action Programme to implement the resolution has been urgently launched. Ministries and sectors at the central level and localities have been assigned specific tasks, closely following the viewpoints and guiding ideas and contents of the resolutions while staying regionally focused.

Next, the central committees, ministries, branches and localities in the region must gradually firm up the Resolution of the Politburo and the action plan of the National Assembly and the Government through specific, highly feasible mechanisms, policies, plans, and schemes.

But first and foremost, Party committees, authorities and people in each region must be determined, strive to innovate, seize opportunities, and overcome difficulties to successfully implement the objectives set out in the Resolution, and create a new and breakthrough change in socio-economic development, ensure national defence and security, while promoting renewal, industrialisation and the modernisation of the country.

NATIONAL PRIDE: Supporters fill the Cẩm Phả Stadium in Quảng Ninh Province to see the women's football final at the 31st Southeast Asian Games. Việt Nam dominated the medal tally with 205 golds, breaking the record for the number of gold medals won at one SEA Games. VNA/VNS Photo Hoàng Linh

In the context of rapid, unpredictable developments in the region and world, the Vietnamese Party and State's external affairs continue to be conducted effectively. Is this a bright spot in the past year?

The Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress stated the objectives of consistently implementing the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development; multilateralism and diversification of foreign relations; combining national strength with strength of the era; integrating into the world comprehensively; making Việt Nam become a reliable partner, friend, and responsible member of the international community.

To implement this, we have actively and responsibly contributed to the international community's joint efforts in preventing and controlling the pandemic while taking advantage of international support to effectively control this dangerous pandemic and quickly recover and develop.

With a spirit of initiative, positivity and responsibility, we have taken on many international responsibilities: a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, and hundreds of Vietnamese officers and soldiers joining the United Nations peacekeeping force.

Việt Nam has participated in the settlement of many major international issues, raising our voice, initiatives and methods of rational and compassionate settlement in the spirit of equality, harmony and humanity, alongside respect for international law, with the support of the international community.

Many major foreign affairs activities were conducted at the right time, with the right policy, including high-level visits, which had a strong impact on the whole Party and nation, as well as support from the international public.

The recent official visit to China by the high-ranking delegation of the Communist Party of Việt Nam is not only a significant event for both countries and of great interest internationally. The content, ceremonies and results of the visit show the mutual respect between the two countries. The two sides have issued a joint statement on promoting and deepening the Việt Nam - China comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership, affirming the determination to continue cooperation between the two countries.

At the end of this year, our Party and State leaders paid official visits to various countries and attended many regional and international forums. High-ranking leaders from other countries have also visited Việt Nam. This reflects a vibrant picture on the external affair front and strict implementation of our Party's foreign policy both bilaterally and multilaterally, creating a favourable international environment. These results contributed to the overall achievements of the country, enhancing the role, position and prestige of Việt Nam in the international arena.

As the world situation continues to show unpredictable changes and Việt Nam still faces many difficulties, with the united effort and determination of the entire Party, entire people and their army, we will definitely successfully carry out the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, making our country more developed, powerful and prosperous, standing shoulder to shoulder with the powers of the five continents, as President Hồ Chí Minh wished.

On the occasion of the Lunar New Year, the Year of the Cat, and also the 93rd anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (February 3, 2023), on behalf of the Party and State leaders, I would like to wish our compatriots, soldiers nationwide, overseas Vietnamese and international friends a Happy New Year with good health, lots of joy, happiness and luck! VNS