HÀ NỘI – Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng paid a visit to Hà Nội on Saturday, the first day of the Lunar New Year, during which he wished the capital city success in completing all tasks of 2017. 

The Party chief lauded the city’s achievements in the past year, noting that the capital is experiencing a flourishing period with high economic growth, improved infrastructure system as well as better living conditions. 
With an area of 3,300 square kilometres and a population of about 9 million, last year, Hà Nội reached a GDP growth of 8.2 per cent and VNĐ186 trillion of budget collection or 110 per cent of the estimate. Sixty-six per cent of local rural communes were recognised as new-style rural areas. 
The Party chief highlighted that there was room for the city to further grow, asking the locality to continue focusing on boosting economic development and fulfilling all socio-economic targets, thus assuring its important role as the major economic hub of the country. 
At the same time, Hà Nội should maintain and promote its cultural identity and unique characteristics, while boosting tourism and showing better performance in urban management as well as security and social order protection, he stressed. 
The Party leader also underscored the need for the city to take pioneer role in the building of Party and political system as well as administrative reform. 
On behalf of the city, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee Hoàng Trung Hải pledged that Hà Nội would exert every efforts to overcome all shortcomings and limitations to successfully fulfil all set targets, thus building an elegant, civilised and modern city. 
The same day, Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng also offered incense to Kinh Lý Thái Tổ at his statue in the Lý Thái Tổ Garden, visited Ngọc Sơn Temple and King Lê Thái Tổ’s Monument in Nam Hương Temple historical relic site, and walked around the iconic Hoàn Kiếm Lake. – VNS