President: Build a mechanism to punish corruption so that people don't dare to commit it.

President: Build mechanisms for prevention so that corruption is impossible; mechanisms for deterrence and punishment so that people will not dare to commit corruption.

On the afternoon of July 25th, with a majority vote, the National Assembly elected Mr. Tran Dai Quang, member of the Politburo and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, to the position of President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (2016-2021 term). After taking the oath of office and delivering his inaugural speech, President Tran Dai Quang answered reporters' questions about his key tasks in the coming period.

President Tran Dai Quang takes the oath of office before the National Assembly.

President Tran Dai QuangFirst of all, thank you to the journalists for your congratulations. Through this, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the people and voters who elected me as a National Assembly representative; and thank the National Assembly and its members for their trust in electing me to continue serving as President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

Reporter:Mr. President! Congratulations on your re-election by the National Assembly to the position of President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam for the term 2016-2021. Could you please give us an overview of the current situation and the key tasks that the entire Party, people, and armed forces need to accomplish in the coming period?

President Tran Dai QuangRecent developments have confirmed that the Party's assessments in the documents of the 12th National Congress of the Party are entirely correct. Alongside opportunities and advantages, the current global and regional situation is complex, with many potential factors causing instability, uncertainty, and unpredictability.

Local wars, armed conflicts, resource disputes, territorial and maritime sovereignty disputes, ethnic and religious conflicts, interventionist activities, subversion, separatism, and international terrorism continue to escalate in nature and severity.

Hostile and reactionary forces are relentlessly intensifying their "peaceful evolution," riots, and subversion activities with many new, extremely insidious and cunning schemes and tactics aimed at eliminating the leading role of the Party and the socialist regime in our country.

Domestically, the socio-economic situation remains challenging; GDP growth in the first six months of the year was lower than the same period last year; saltwater intrusion, drought, and environmental pollution occurred in many areas, negatively impacting agricultural, forestry, and fisheries production... and people's lives.

Against this backdrop, the entire Party, people, and armed forces are united in their determination to successfully implement the Resolution of the 12th National Congress of the Party with six key tasks, in which socio-economic development is central; Party building is crucial; building culture and human resources is the spiritual foundation; and strengthening national defense and security is vital and ongoing. We will accelerate the implementation of strategic breakthroughs associated with reforming the growth model, improving productivity, efficiency, and competitiveness of the economy.

Continue administrative reforms, create a favorable business environment for people and businesses, effectively mobilize resources, and persistently strive to achieve the socio-economic targets set by the 12th Party Congress and the National Assembly.

To care for and improve the material and spiritual lives of the people, especially those in remote areas, border regions, islands, areas with special difficulties, and policy beneficiaries. To focus on building a clean and strong Party and political system; to promote the strength of national unity and socialist democracy; to comprehensively and synchronously accelerate the reform process; to firmly protect the independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the sacred Fatherland, national interests and security; and to maintain a peaceful and stable environment for rapid and sustainable national development.

Reporter:Mr. President, in recent times, non-traditional security threats, especially cyber warfare, migration waves, water security, energy security, food security, environmental pollution, and climate change, have continued to increase. Could you please tell us what needs to be done to effectively address these threats?

President Tran Dai Quang:Non-traditional security threats are closely linked to traditional security threats, directly endangering national interests and security.

Therefore, "being prepared to respond to traditional and non-traditional security threats; ensuring information security and cybersecurity," as clearly stated in the Document of the 12th National Congress of the Party, requires leveraging the combined strength of the entire political system and the whole population, proactively employing a synchronized approach encompassing political, diplomatic, economic, and scientific-technological measures.

Strengthening propaganda and education to create a strong shift in awareness and action among Party committees, government agencies, mass organizations, and all segments of the population regarding their responsibility to prevent and combat non-traditional security threats.

Continue to improve the legal system, enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of state management, ensure synchronicity, uniformity, and clear division of responsibilities and decentralization regarding information security and cybersecurity, food security, water security, environmental protection, and effective response to climate change...

Focus on developing and effectively implementing strategies, plans, and projects to respond to non-traditional security threats, especially in strategically important areas for national defense and security, and areas frequently affected by natural disasters such as storms, floods, droughts, and saltwater intrusion.

Emphasis should be placed on training and developing human resources, building specialized forces; and strengthening international cooperation to exchange information and share experiences in dealing with non-traditional security threats.

Reporter:Mr. President, in recent times, the fight against corruption and waste in our country has achieved certain results, contributing to socio-economic development, maintaining political security and social order and safety. However, corruption and waste remain serious and are one of the threats to the survival of our Party and regime. In your capacity as Head of the Central Steering Committee for Judicial Reform, could you please share your opinion on this matter?

President Tran Dai Quang:The fight against corruption and waste is a crucial task, both urgent and long-term, and extremely difficult and complex. To effectively combat corruption and waste, the timely detection, prosecution, investigation, and handling of corrupt and wasteful acts are decisive; cadres and Party members, especially leaders, must set an example in ethics and lifestyle and resolutely prevent and combat corruption and waste.

Focus on regular and continuous leadership and guidance, creating close coordination, and mobilizing the combined strength of the entire political system and the whole population in the fight against corruption and waste, with functional agencies playing an advisory and core role.

Strengthening propaganda and education efforts aims to raise awareness, understanding, and responsibility among all levels, sectors, officials, Party members, and the people regarding the fight against corruption and waste, creating unity, self-awareness, and high determination in action.

This will create a widespread and strong condemnation of corruption and waste throughout society, emphasizing respect for the rule of law and the integrity of every official, Party member, and public servant. Emphasis will be placed on building and perfecting mechanisms, policies, and laws, addressing loopholes and shortcomings in socio-economic management, especially in areas prone to corruption and waste. Mechanisms will be developed to prevent corruption from occurring, and mechanisms for deterrence and punishment to discourage corruption.

Continue judicial and administrative reforms, improve the organizational structure, functions, tasks, and coordination mechanisms, and build clean and strong judicial agencies. Strengthen training and development to enhance the revolutionary qualities, ethics, and professional capacity of cadres and civil servants in the judicial sectors, especially investigators, prosecutors, and judges directly involved in detecting, investigating, prosecuting, and adjudicating corruption and waste cases, ensuring the excellent fulfillment of assigned tasks.

Reporter:Mr. President, in the context of complex international and regional developments, the task of defending the independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the Fatherland, and ensuring national defense, security, and social order and safety is extremely challenging. As Chairman of the National Defense and Security Council, could you please outline solutions to improve the quality and effectiveness of the Council's operations to meet the requirements and tasks of national defense in the new situation?

President Tran Dai Quang:Article 89 of the 2013 Constitution stipulates the organization and operation of the National Defense and Security Council. To improve the quality and effectiveness of the Council's operations, it is first necessary to clearly define the operating principles of the National Defense and Security Council, which must adhere to the leadership and guidance of the Party; and strictly comply with the resolutions of the National Assembly on national defense and security.

Working closely with the National Assembly, the Government, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and socio-political organizations, the Council shall fully and effectively carry out its duties and powers as stipulated in the Constitution and laws.

Continuing to institutionalize the Platform for Building the Country during the Transition Period to Socialism (Supplemented and Developed in 2011), concretizing the provisions of the 2013 Constitution, and actively contributing to the successful implementation of the Party's guidelines, policies, and the State's laws on national defense and security.

Focus on consolidating and strengthening national defense and security capabilities, combat readiness, and resolutely and persistently fighting to firmly protect the independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the Fatherland; protecting the borders and sovereignty of the sea, islands, and airspace; protecting the Party, the State, the people, and the socialist system; while maintaining a peaceful and stable environment for sustainable national development.

Reporter:Mr. President, in your capacity as Head of State, representing the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in both domestic and foreign affairs, could you please outline your main activities in the field of foreign affairs in the coming period?

President Tran Dai Quang:Protecting the supreme interests of the nation and people on the basis of the fundamental principles of international law, equality and mutual benefit; proactively integrating into the international community, maintaining a peaceful environment and creating favorable conditions for national development are consistent policies of our Party and State.

In the coming period, the President and Vice President will actively implement the foreign affairs work program, contributing to the effective implementation of the independent, self-reliant, peaceful, friendly, cooperative and developmental foreign policy; multilateralizing and diversifying relations, proactively and actively integrating and cooperating internationally on the basis of respect for independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit.

To promote and deepen relations between our country and neighboring countries, the region, and major powers; to consolidate and strengthen relations with traditional friendly countries and open up relations with potential partners; and to gain broad international support and external resources.

Closely coordinate the Party's foreign affairs activities, state diplomacy, and people-to-people diplomacy; between political diplomacy, economic diplomacy, and cultural diplomacy; and between foreign affairs and national defense and security to enhance our country's position and prestige in the international arena, contributing to the successful implementation of socio-economic development, national defense and security, and international integration.

Reporter:Thank you very much, Mr. President!

According to VOV.VN