"Promoting patriotism, developing the country quickly and sustainably"

“The country still faces many difficulties, but with the great achievements that have been made, the country's position, strength, comprehensive power, and international prestige are increasingly enhanced, creating important premises to continue to successfully implement the goals and tasks set forth by the 12th National Party Congress.”

This is what President Tran Dai Quang shared in an interview on the occasion of the New Year 2018.

With the consensus of the entire Party, people and army, we have completed and exceeded the socio-economic development targets. Could the President summarize the country's outstanding achievements?

President Tran Dai Quang:It can be affirmed that for the first time in many years, we have comprehensively completed and exceeded all 13 socio-economic development targets set by the National Assembly.

The macro economy is stable, inflation is under control, budget revenue and major balances of the economy all meet the requirements. GDP growth reached 6.81%, import-export turnover reached 425 billion USD, the highest ever; foreign direct investment attraction reached 35.8 billion USD, the highest in the past 10 years...

The combination of economic development with the resolution of social issues, especially hunger eradication, poverty reduction, and people's health care, has yielded very encouraging results. The sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the Fatherland have been firmly maintained. National defense and security have been strengthened, political security, social order, and safety have been ensured. The work of Party building and building a clean and strong political system has been focused on, directed, and achieved important results...

The comprehensive achievements in all fields have contributed to strengthening people's confidence, creating an exciting atmosphere in the whole society, creating favorable momentum for the country to continue its sustainable development, and have been recognized and highly appreciated by public opinion and international friends.

2017 marked Vietnam's success on the foreign affairs front. Could you please evaluate the outstanding achievements of foreign affairs work in the past year?

2017 is a year that marks a special milestone in the history of our country's diplomacy.

First of all, it was the brilliant success of APEC Vietnam Year 2017 and the 25th APEC Summit, in which we excellently assumed the role of host, creating a historical mark in the process of economic and political integration in the Asia-Pacific region, demonstrating Vietnam's stature, mettle and intelligence; proposing many initiatives, priorities, flexible and creative management, overcoming differences, building consensus, not only maintaining the momentum of APEC cooperation and integration, but also contributing to building the strategic vision of the Forum in the coming decades.

We have deepened our cooperative relations with neighboring countries, countries in the region, major partner countries, and traditional friends. Leaders of our country and other countries have conducted many visits and high-level delegation exchanges.

In particular, there have been dozens of high-level visits between our country and leading countries in the region and the world. Never before in one day have we welcomed the highest leaders of China and the United States on State visits to Vietnam.

During the APEC Summit Week, we played an active role in maintaining and promoting the negotiation process of the comprehensive and progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. This year's trade activities and foreign investment attraction both achieved better results than expected.

Foreign affairs, integration and international cooperation in the fields of diplomacy, defense and security, both bilaterally and multilaterally, have contributed to firmly protecting the sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity of the country, ensuring national security, social order and safety.

Within ASEAN, we have made a very important contribution to strengthening solidarity, consensus and a common voice on strategic issues in the region. Dialogue and cooperation mechanisms on security and defense with neighboring countries, countries in the region and major partner countries, Vietnam's active participation in multilateral forums on security and defense as well as the United Nations' peacekeeping activities have enhanced political trust between Vietnam and other countries, contributing to enhancing our country's position and prestige in the international arena.

APEC 2017 was the highlight of Vietnam's foreign affairs last year, affirming the country's position and strength in multilateral diplomacy. As Chair of the 25th APEC Summit, could you please tell us about the significance and importance of this largest multilateral foreign affairs event?

This is an outstanding foreign affairs achievement of our entire Party, people and army, contributing to enhancing the role of APEC as the leading economic cooperation mechanism in the region.

That success marks a new milestone in the process of international integration and multilateral foreign affairs, contributing to consolidating the trend of peace, cooperation, development and enhancing the prestige and position of our country in the international arena.

The 25th APEC Summit Week has brought Vietnam to the center of world attention. The APEC Economic Leaders and the leaders of the three guest countries, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, attended the APEC Summit Week.

That shows Vietnam's strategic position and great role in the region, the commitment of member economies to the APEC cooperation process, as well as the international community's interest in APEC and Vietnam.

APEC economic leaders all highly appreciated our hosting role in leading and initiating many ideas and initiatives to bring APEC to consensus on many issues and towards building a common future.

The achievements of APEC Year 2017 will create momentum for Vietnam to assume major international responsibilities in the coming years, including running for the position of non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2020-2021 term and ASEAN Chair 2020.

The success of APEC Year 2017 and the 25th APEC Summit Week once again affirmed the important role and contribution of multilateral diplomacy to the cause of national construction and defense. This is an important foundation for us to continue to successfully implement the goals and tasks set by the 12th National Party Congress.

2018 is the pivotal year of the 5-year Socio-Economic Development Plan 2016 - 2020. Could you please assess the country's advantages and difficulties?

The National Assembly has approved the main targets for socio-economic development in 2018, in which GDP growth is determined at 6.5-6.7%; continuing to ensure macroeconomic stability, controlling inflation; creating clear changes in implementing three strategic breakthroughs, innovating the growth model associated with restructuring the economy, improving growth quality, labor productivity and economic competitiveness...

We have very basic advantages: stable politics and society, Vietnam's prestige in the international arena is increasingly high, confidence in the country's development prospects is strengthened; the country still has much potential for development and especially we have achieved great achievements of historical significance and drawn valuable lessons from the process of more than 30 years of national renovation...

The world and domestic situation has both advantages, opportunities, difficulties and challenges intertwined; posing many new issues, new requirements that are greater and more complex for the cause of innovation, protection and development of the country. In particular, the advantage of labor is rapidly disappearing due to the impact of the fourth industrial revolution; Vietnam's economy is highly open, so it will be greatly affected by the world economic situation...

In the above context, we need to promote the strength of solidarity, self-reliance, self-improvement, seize opportunities, overcome challenges to move forward steadily.

On the eve of the New Year, what message does the President want to send to our compatriots, soldiers nationwide, and overseas Vietnamese?

The country still faces many difficulties, but with the great achievements that have been made, the country's position, strength, comprehensive power, and international prestige are increasingly enhanced, creating an important premise to continue to successfully implement the goals and tasks set forth by the 12th National Party Congress.

I believe that with new spirit, new vitality, new faith and new determination, our compatriots in the lowlands as well as in the highlands, at home and abroad, will promote to the highest extent the spirit of patriotism, the will of self-reliance, the strength of great national unity, join hands, unite, and strive to develop our country quickly and sustainably, firmly protecting the socialist Fatherland of Vietnam.

On the occasion of the New Year 2018 and the preparation to celebrate the traditional Tet Mau Tuat of the nation, I would like to wish our compatriots, soldiers nationwide, and overseas Vietnamese good health, happiness and success.