On the occasion of welcoming the Year of the Cat - 2023 and commemorating the 93rd anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3, 1930 - February 3, 2023), General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong took the time to answer an interview with Vietnam News Agency. The following is the content of the interview:
Reporter:Dear General Secretary, could you please tell us some outstanding achievements in the construction and development of our country in 2022?
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong:Looking back at 2022, we see that the world and domestic situation has new developments, more difficult than forecast. The world has many rapid, complex, unpredictable, unprecedented changes. Domestically, we are simultaneously striving to recover and develop the socio-economy, while continuing to deal with the existing problems caused by the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, seasonal epidemics and the consequences of natural disasters, storms and floods.
In that context, with the consensus and determination of the entire political system, we have achieved and exceeded 14/15 planned targets. The country's GDP growth reached 8.02%, higher than the plan of 6 - 6.5%. The main sectors and fields of the economy have recovered and developed strongly. State budget revenue increased by 20% compared to 2021; Total social investment capital increased by 12.5% compared to the previous year, of which disbursed foreign direct investment reached 22 billion USD, up 16%. Total import-export turnover reached a record 740 billion USD, up 10% compared to 2021 (Vietnam continues to be in the top 25 economies in terms of trade).
The cultural field has received more attention, especially since the National Cultural Conference at the end of 2021. We are focusing on building national value systems, cultural value systems, family value systems, and Vietnamese human value systems in the new era. Many large-scale cultural, sports, and entertainment events, especially the 31st SEA Games, have been organized very successfully.
Education and healthcare are gradually being consolidated and have undergone many innovations after the COVID-19 pandemic, gradually improving quality, meeting the people's learning and medical examination and treatment needs. Social policies, especially policies for people with revolutionary contributions, social protection policies and support for businesses, workers, and people severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, and floods, have been implemented promptly, contributing to ensuring social security, stability, and continuing to improve people's lives.
National defense and security were strengthened, firmly protecting independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity; political security, social order and safety were maintained; foreign relations continued to be promoted and deepened. The work of building the Party and the political system, fighting against corruption and negativity continued to be promoted and synchronized from the Central to the local levels, creating positive changes in reality, gaining the consensus and support of cadres, party members and the people.
These results were achieved, first of all, thanks to the close, timely and correct leadership of the Party; the effective accompaniment and supervision of the National Assembly; the drastic and methodical direction and administration of the Government; the solidarity and close coordination of all sectors and levels; the drastic participation of the entire political system and the efforts of the entire Party, people and army. With the spirit of "First support, then support", "One call, all respond", "Unanimity from top to bottom", "Consistency across the board", we have gradually overcome difficulties and challenges, successfully fulfilling all the set goals and tasks. This is a great driving force to bring the country into 2023 with new confidence, new spirit, new determination, continuing to develop rapidly and sustainably.
However, the upcoming situation still has many potential difficulties and challenges; we must not be subjective, must continue to effectively control the COVID-19 pandemic and newly emerging diseases, and at the same time focus on economic and social recovery and development. In particular, maintaining macroeconomic stability, controlling inflation, ensuring major balances of the economy. Promoting economic restructuring, associated with growth model innovation, improving internal capacity, autonomy, resilience and adaptability of the economy; consolidating, promoting and creating new growth drivers in the medium and long term. Speeding up the implementation of strategic breakthroughs, the Economic and Social Recovery and Development Program, 3 National Target Programs, projects to build a synchronous and modern infrastructure system, especially key national projects. Improve the quality of human resources, promote the application and development of science and technology, digital transformation, green transformation, innovation to adapt to the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Focus on developing culture and education, ensuring social security, constantly improving people's lives. Strictly manage and effectively use land and resources, protect the environment, proactively respond to climate change. Focus on doing well the work of building the Party and the political system. Promote the fight against corruption and negativity. Strengthen national defense and security, firmly protect independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, maintain political security, order and social safety. Proactively and actively integrate into the international community, comprehensively and extensively, improve the effectiveness of foreign affairs.
Reporter:It can be affirmed that in 2022, most of the important orientations in the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress have been concretized and implemented at all levels. How does the General Secretary assess these steps, Mr. General Secretary?
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong:Last year, the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress was vigorously implemented, concretized into specialized resolutions of the Central Executive Committee, the Politburo, practical action programs of the National Assembly and the Government, and thoroughly disseminated to ministries, departments, branches, all levels, cadres, party members and people.
At the 5th and 6th Conferences, the Party Central Committee thoroughly grasped and concretized all the core contents and major issues stated in the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, such as: Land management and use; Agriculture, farmers, rural areas; Collective economic development; Orientation of the National Master Plan for the period 2021 - 2030 and vision to 2050; Promoting industrialization and modernization to 2030, vision to 2045; Building grassroots party organizations and party members; Continuing to build and perfect the socialist rule-of-law State of Vietnam; Continuing to innovate the Party's leadership method for the activities of the political system. These are practical issues for the people, of great significance to the socio-economic development of the country in the coming period, the purity and strength of the Party and the political system.
As we know, each region has its own characteristics. To promote the potential and advantages of each region, in addition to general development policies and guidelines for the whole country, there must be specific development policies and guidelines suitable for each region. Before this term, the orientation of regional development had been implemented through a number of specialized resolutions of the Politburo of previous terms, however, the results have not been as expected, the potential advantages of the regions have not been exploited properly and effectively.
Therefore, the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress clearly stated: "Better exploit and promote the best advantages of each region in terms of infrastructure, natural conditions, geo-economic and political position, human resources and strengthen intra-regional and inter-regional connectivity to participate in global value chains, creating new development space...". And this orientation was concretized by the Politburo into 6 thematic resolutions on the development of 6 key regions: Northern Midlands and Mountains; Mekong Delta; Central Highlands; Southeast; North Central and Central Coast; Red River Delta and immediately after that, national conferences were held to thoroughly grasp the basic contents of these Resolutions.
I have emphasized many times that for every resolution that is issued, the very important and decisive issue is how to organize its implementation well, with practical results, and resolutely overcome the situation of "The resolution is really good, but it seems that its implementation is still difficult in many ways", or "beating the drum and abandoning the stick", "the elephant's head, the mouse's tail".
A positive change can be seen in that immediately after the national conferences to thoroughly grasp the Politburo's resolution on regional development, the National Assembly Party Delegation and the Government Party Committee promptly developed, issued and deployed the Action Program to implement the resolution, assigning specific tasks to ministries, branches at the Central level and localities in the regions, on the basis of closely following the viewpoints, guiding ideas and contents of the resolutions, while closely matching the actual situation of the regions and sub-regions. Next, the Central ministries, branches and localities in the regions gradually concretized the Politburo's Resolution and the Action Program of the National Assembly and the Government through specific mechanisms, policies, plans, projects and resources with high feasibility. But first and foremost, the Party committees, authorities and people of the localities in each region, who have been determined and are now even more determined; Having innovated and strived, we will continue to innovate and strive even more vigorously, seize opportunities and advantages; overcome difficulties and challenges, successfully implement the goals set out in the resolution, create new and breakthrough changes in socio-economic development and ensure national defense and security in the regions, and together with the whole country, continue to promote the cause of innovation, industrialization and modernization of the country.
Convergence of resources through national master planning:
Reporter:Continuing the momentum of previous years, the fight against corruption and negativity has been carried out resolutely, systematically, with strong, very important and comprehensive progress, becoming an irreversible movement and trend. Could you please tell us what are the new highlights of this work?
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong:In 2022, the fight against corruption and negativity was led and directed by the Central Government with strong determination, many new points, and many specific results, which were supported and highly appreciated by cadres, party members, people, and international public opinion.
First of all, the functions and tasks of the Central Steering Committee on anti-corruption have also been revised and supplemented, with many innovations in content, methods and scope of activities, including "negatives". Provincial Steering Committees on anti-corruption and negatives have been established in all 63 provinces and cities and quickly put into operation, achieving initial results. The Central Steering Committee has selected weak points and difficult tasks to focus on directing and overcoming; worked very seriously, responsibly, methodically, scientifically, with very smooth and close coordination, high determination and increasingly clear effectiveness; truly the "commander in chief", the "conductor" of anti-corruption and negatives work. Provincial Steering Committees will deploy activities in this direction.
In 2022, we discovered, fought and handled a number of serious major cases (Viet A, FLC, Tan Hoang Minh, Consular Department - Ministry of Foreign Affairs, AIC and Van Thinh Phat...). This is a very difficult, complicated and sensitive job, but thanks to careful, thorough, objective and highly unified preparation, we have received public consensus and support.
Recently, the Politburo issued Regulation No. 41-QD/TW, dated November 3, 2021, on dismissal and resignation of cadres and Notice No. 20-TB/TW, dated September 8, 2022, on job arrangement for cadres after being disciplined. The issuance of these regulations is a step to continue perfecting the Party's principles and disciplines, demonstrating a strong and determined spirit in handling errant, corrupt, and degenerate cadres, promptly replacing cadres who are no longer competent and prestigious, according to the motto: "There are in, there are out, there are ups, there are downs".
In response to some opinions that focusing too much on fighting corruption and negativity will "discourage" and "reluctance" those who dare to think and act, and will "slow down" the country's development; it can be affirmed and reality has proven the exact opposite, thanks to doing a good job in building and rectifying the Party and the political system, stepping up the fight against corruption and negativity, we have maintained socio-political stability, restored and developed the socio-economy, expanded foreign relations, consolidated and strengthened the trust of the people and international friends; at the same time, refuting the distorted arguments of hostile forces, claiming that handling erring cadres and party members is "internal fighting" and "factionalism". Stepping up the fight against corruption and negativity only "reluctants" those with impure motives. I have said many times: "Those who do not dare to do it, step aside and let others do it".
Reporter:In the context of rapid, complex and unpredictable developments in the regional and global situation, the foreign affairs of our Party and State continue to be actively, dynamically and effectively implemented, both bilaterally and multilaterally. Can this be considered a bright spot in the past year, Mr. General Secretary?
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong:The Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress has determined: Consistently implementing the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation and development; multilateralizing and diversifying foreign relations. Combining national strength with the strength of the times, proactively and actively integrating comprehensively and deeply into the international community; Vietnam is a friend, a reliable partner and an active, responsible member of the international community.
To implement that consistent foreign policy, in the context of the complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have proactively and responsibly contributed to the common efforts of the international community in the work of preventing and fighting the pandemic, while at the same time gaining international support to effectively control this dangerous epidemic and quickly recover and develop the economy and society.
With a proactive, positive and highly responsible spirit, we have undertaken many important international responsibilities: Non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, member of the United Nations Human Rights Council...; sent hundreds of officers and soldiers to join the United Nations peacekeeping force. Participating in solving many important international issues, Vietnam's voice, initiatives and reasonable and humane solutions in the spirit of equality, peace and humanity, respect for international law, have received the consensus and support of the international community.
Many major foreign affairs activities were carried out at the right time, with the right policies, including the organization of welcoming and implementing high-level visits, which had a strong impact, creating high consensus among the entire Party, the entire people, and the entire army, and were supported by international public opinion. The recent official visit to China by a high-level delegation of our Party was not only a particularly important event for Vietnam and China, but also of great interest to international public opinion. The content, protocol, and results of the visit demonstrated mutual respect between the two Parties and the two countries. The two sides issued a Joint Statement on continuing to promote and deepen the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership between Vietnam and China; affirming the determination to continue to promote cooperation between the two Parties and the two countries in the coming time.
At the end of this year, the visits of our Party and State leaders to other countries, attending many regional and international forums (ASEAN, AIPA, ASEM, APEC, IPU, etc.), as well as visits by high-ranking leaders of other countries to Vietnam, reflect a vibrant picture on the foreign affairs front, a strong step in implementing our Party's foreign policy both bilaterally and multilaterally, creating a favorable international environment to promote industrialization, modernization and socio-economic development. These results contribute to the country's overall achievements, enhancing Vietnam's role, position and prestige in the international arena.
In the context of the world situation continuing to change rapidly and unpredictably, although our country still faces many difficulties, with the joint efforts and high determination of the entire Party, people and army, we will definitely successfully implement the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, making our country increasingly developed, powerful and prosperous, standing shoulder to shoulder with the world powers, as wished by President Ho Chi Minh.
Reporter: Thank you very much, General Secretary!
According to VNA