General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong: Joining hands for a prosperous Vietnam

In the exciting, proud, emotional atmosphere of welcoming the new Spring, which is also the occasion to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the founding of the glorious Communist Party of Vietnam, could the General Secretary and President please share some thoughts with readers?

General Secretary, President:The rich practice of the Vietnamese revolution since the Party was founded has proven that the correct and wise leadership of the Party is the leading factor deciding all victories of our country's revolution, creating many miracles in Vietnam; at the same time, in the process of leading the revolution, our Party has been tempered, tested and constantly matured, gaining experience to become increasingly worthy of the role and mission of leading the revolution, worthy of the people's trust.

Over the past ninety years under the leadership of the Party, our country's position and strength have been strengthened. Many international organizations have assessed Vietnam as a country with developed economy and culture, stable politics and society, and many good prospects... Our country has never had such a great foundation, role and high position as it does today.

From a weak and poor country, today Vietnam has risen to become a middle-income country, people's lives are constantly improving, many achievements in economic and social development are recognized and highly appreciated by the international community; foreign relations and international integration are constantly expanding, economic, trade and investment cooperation is strengthened. Vietnam has participated in most international organizations and multilateral economic cooperation institutions, playing an important role and voice in the region and the world.

However, the international context and domestic situation, in addition to advantages and opportunities, also have many difficulties and challenges. In the process of national development, many new problems arise that need to be handled, many extremely complicated matters need to be solved; we absolutely must not be subjective, complacent, intoxicated with victory, or rest on our laurels.

To take care of the country, cultivate the people's hearts, build a Party worthy of "being the leader and a truly loyal servant of the people", and lead the renewal process forward, our Party strives to promote Party building and rectification in the spirit of the 4th Central Resolution of the 11th and 12th tenures, making the Party increasingly clean and strong in politics, ideology, organization, and ethics, innovating leadership methods, strengthening the connection between the Party and the people, maintaining and enhancing the revolutionary nature and vanguard character of the Party.

In the conditions of developing a market economy, expanding integration, daily and hourly contact with goods and money, facing many temptations, with the negative side of the market mechanism, each cadre and party member must take care to maintain the revolutionary nature and vanguard character of the Party. A true revolutionary party with the right line, tight organization, clean, exemplary, dedicated cadres and party members, closely attached to the people, supported by the people, then that party has invincible strength, no force can stop it on the path of leading the nation forward.

Nhat Tan Bridge (Hanoi).

A top political task in 2020 is to hold party congresses at all levels towards the 13th National Party Congress. The masses are looking forward to and expecting new breakthroughs in the country's development direction in the coming term. Could the General Secretary and President share his thoughts on this issue?

General Secretary, President:President Ho Chi Minh pointed out that "The Party Congress is very important to the revolutionary future of our Party and our people. The Congress will make our Party, which is already united, even more united, and our thoughts and actions, already unanimous, even more unanimous."

Holding party congresses at all levels towards the 13th National Party Congress is one of the key tasks from now until the end of the term. The 13th National Party Congress will focus on evaluating the 2016-2021 term, the 2011-2020 Socio-Economic Development Strategy, 10 years of implementing the 2011 Supplementary Platform, looking back at 35 years of implementing the renovation process; at the same time, determining the direction for the 2021-2026 term, with a vision to 2030 (100 years of the Party's founding) and 2045 (100 years of the country's founding).

Therefore, the preparation work for the Congress must be carried out methodically and thoroughly, both in terms of documents and personnel, in which the work of drafting documents, of which the political report is the center, is extremely important, must crystallize the intelligence, enthusiasm, responsibility, creativity, vision, aspiration and development orientation of each locality and the whole country.

The summary and evaluation must be based on the spirit of looking straight at the truth, evaluating the truth correctly, objectively, comprehensively, clearly recognizing achievements, limitations, weaknesses and causes, drawing lessons to find solutions to overcome them.

In summarizing and evaluating, it is necessary to draw out new models, good practices, and practices of practical value; encourage aspirations to rise up, encourage exploration, innovation, and creativity, and serve sustainable development; at the same time, thoroughly analyze emerging practical issues such as the failure to ensure harmony between economic growth and cultural development, human development, solving social problems, and protecting resources and the environment; the implementation of land policies, ensuring traffic safety, corruption, waste, and negativity... Or focus on resolving major relationships between innovation, stability, and development; between economic innovation and political innovation; between following market rules and ensuring socialist orientation; between independence, autonomy, and international integration; between practicing democracy and strengthening the rule of law, ensuring social discipline...

The determination of directions, goals, tasks and solutions for the coming term must closely follow the Party's innovative viewpoints and ideas and the actual situation of the locality, placed in the overall context of the region, inter-region and the whole country; at the same time, it is necessary to do a good job of forecasting, seizing opportunities, maximizing potentials and advantages for rapid and sustainable development, improving the material and spiritual life of the people. To do so, it is necessary to promote democracy, gather the wisdom of Party committees and subordinate Party organizations; respectfully accept the appropriate and responsible opinions of veteran cadres, scientists, the business community and all classes of people, creating unity between the Party's will and the people's will.

The report presented to the Congress is not like an annual performance report, but must analyze and evaluate the current and upcoming situation, and forecast what our locality and country will be like by 2030 and 2045. It is said to be a smart city, a green city, but what is the specific content? Or will our country by 2030 be an industrialized country, a developed country, or a modern industrialized country? Since 2001, we have determined that by 2020, our country will basically become an industrialized country in a modern direction. Has it now basically become an industrialized country in a modern direction? Therefore, we must have a very deep understanding of both theory and practice, both domestically and internationally. The document is a political orientation to do, not just to talk about. What must be done so that when the Congress announces it, the people will be excited and trust the Party's guidelines?

The guiding ideology is to combine steadfastness and innovation; innovation but still steadfastly pursue the goal of building a rich, strong, democratic, fair, civilized country, steadily moving towards socialism; to combine inheritance and development, theory and practice, and continue to gradually perfect the theory of socialism and the path to socialism in Vietnam. It is necessary to thoroughly grasp the spirit: We must definitely innovate, but innovate without straying from issues of principle, without deviating from direction or changing color; proactively and actively integrate while still maintaining the national identity.

A corner of Ho Chi Minh City.

Personnel work is extremely important, not only deciding the success of the congress, but also affecting the development of each locality, unit and the whole country throughout the term. To do well in personnel work for party congresses at all levels, contributing to the success of the 13th National Party Congress, what issues need to be noted, Mr. General Secretary and President?

General Secretary, President:That's right, the issue that the Party and the people are very concerned about now is personnel work. How to limit negativity, promote unity and solidarity, select truly worthy people, and prepare personnel not only for the Central Committee, but also for all sectors and levels.

During his lifetime, President Ho Chi Minh taught: "Cadres are the root of all things", "success or failure depends on good or bad cadres". Deeply imbued with Uncle Ho's teachings, our Party has issued and implemented many resolutions, directives, regulations and rules on cadre work. This is the basis for Party committees at all levels to pay attention to long-term and systematic investment in cadre work, suitable to the actual conditions of localities and units, and at the same time, prepare well for personnel for the upcoming Party Congress, from planning, training, fostering to evaluating and using cadres...

In particular, it is necessary to improve the quality of Party committee planning, ensure a source of cadres with sufficient capacity, qualifications, standards, moral qualities, practical capacity, leadership, management skills and effectively handle practical issues; focus on new factors, with virtue, talent, prestige and prospects; harmoniously and reasonably handle the relationship between standards and structure, in which standards are the main thing, not lowering standards because of structure; attach importance to both virtue and talent, in which virtue is the root; closely and effectively combine improving the quality of Party committees with ensuring the structure of three age groups, the proportion of young cadres, female cadres, cadres from ethnic minorities, etc.

Personnel work must be carried out step by step, task by task, firmly, carefully, strictly, following the correct procedures, ensuring democracy, objectivity, openness, transparency, right person, right job. Strictly prohibit all manifestations of violating the principle of democratic centralism, seeking to promote one person, demote another, forming cliques, causing internal disunity. Resolutely do not allow into the new Party Committee those who are ambitious for power, seek positions, seek power, are bureaucratic, corrupt, conservative, stagnant, work ineffectively, say things that do not match their actions; themselves or their spouses, children have an exemplary lifestyle, take advantage of their positions for illegal profits... Entering the Party Committee is not for advancement, for prestige, for personal gain, but to contribute, sacrifice, for the people, for the country.

Perspective of flower street (HCMC).

Dear General Secretary and President, recently, many corruption and negative cases have been brought to trial, with strict sentences, and progress has been made in recovering corrupt assets, demonstrating the great political determination of our Party and State in the fight against corruption. However, public opinion is still worried about whether that political determination will continue to be nurtured in the long term, so that the "furnace" is always hot, eliminating corruption and cleaning up the apparatus?

General Secretary, President:In the coming years, the cause of national innovation and development will move into a new phase, increasingly going into depth; the people demand that the work of preventing and combating corruption must continue to be drastic, maintaining the current trend. Therefore, it is necessary to both build and perfect institutions and policies, concretize the Party's guidelines and policies for implementation; to consider and strictly handle ongoing cases, and promptly detect new cases, pay attention to stages such as asset recovery, damage remediation, ensuring execution of judgments, strictly handling acts of self-interest, appropriation, including acts of "petty corruption"...

In recent times, not only has the Party resolutely dealt with corruption and violations of Party discipline, but the Party has also systematically and closely reviewed and overcome loopholes in personnel work. The Central Committee, the Politburo, and the Secretariat have issued and implemented many resolutions, directives, and regulations to strengthen the work of Party building and rectification, and prevent and combat corruption, degradation, "self-evolution", and "self-transformation"; build a team of key cadres at all levels; streamline the organization and operate effectively and efficiently; promote the exemplary responsibility of cadres and Party members; inspect and supervise asset declaration; decentralize cadre management, introduce, appoint, and rotate cadres; protect those who detect and denounce, and fight against corruption, waste, and negativity, etc.

The National Assembly and the Government have developed, promulgated and implemented many legal documents to perfect the socio-economic and anti-corruption institutions, gradually overcoming loopholes and inadequacies in legal regulations that are the causes of negativity, corruption and "group interests", helping to improve the effectiveness of state management in all areas of social life, contributing to the prevention of negativity and corruption. Agencies, ministries, sectors and localities have also issued many documents specifying instructions and directions for implementation... creating a fundamental foundation and strong driving force for sustainable socio-economic development.

Looking back at the socio-economic picture with many bright spots in the past year, it can be seen that preventing and combating corruption is not only a requirement of Party building and rectification work, but also a condition for improving the investment and business environment and promoting growth. Fighting corruption and building and perfecting institutions need to go hand in hand, and are two tracks for Vietnam's economy to continue to take off.

I have said many times that preventing and combating corruption is a long-term, complicated battle that requires perseverance, determination, and high determination. Along with perfecting institutions and policies, we need to strengthen urging, inspecting, and supervising the implementation of the Party's guidelines and resolutions, and the State's policies and laws; through inspection, audit, and auditing to detect and handle corruption, especially in sensitive areas with high risks of corruption and negativity such as land management and use, resource and mineral exploitation; the purchase and sale, transfer of public assets; equitization and divestment in the restructuring of state-owned enterprises; management of state capital and assets invested in enterprises, etc.

At the same time, further speed up the investigation and handling of serious, complicated corruption and economic cases and incidents that are of public concern; improve the effectiveness of recovering corrupt assets, overcome the situation of "hot above, cold below", prevent and combat "petty corruption" at the local and grassroots levels, avoid causing trouble for people and businesses; pay attention to detecting and handling corruption and negativity right in the agencies doing anti-corruption work; resolutely eliminate corrupt, damaged, degenerate and corrupt officials; focus on building a team of truly honest and clean officials who have enough courage to fight to protect what is right and eliminate what is wrong...

A corner of Hanoi city.

A new spring is coming, bringing with it new aspirations, beliefs and spirit. What message does the General Secretary and President have for our compatriots and soldiers nationwide, our overseas Vietnamese, and international friends?

General Secretary, President:Entering 2020, a year of special importance and decisiveness for the successful implementation of the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress, the year of holding Party Congresses at all levels towards the 13th National Party Congress, and at the same time creating a solid foundation for the country's new development period, we need to be more proactive and active, continue to consolidate and strengthen the macroeconomic foundation, control inflation, improve productivity, quality, efficiency, autonomy and competitiveness of the economy; promote innovation, creativity, perfect institutions, unlock resources; create an open and favorable investment and business environment; strongly promote economic restructuring associated with growth model innovation; accelerate the implementation of important national projects and key projects; promote the role of economic regions, large cities, domestic markets and service and tourism sectors.

Developing high-quality human resources in conjunction with science and technology development and innovation; promoting faster and more sustainable economic growth; focusing on cultural and social development, human development, ensuring social security, enhancing social welfare, and improving people's lives. Strengthening resource management, environmental protection, natural disaster prevention and control, and climate change response.

Continue to promote administrative reform, judicial reform, streamline the apparatus, reduce staff, improve the effectiveness and efficiency of direction, administration and law enforcement; strengthen discipline and order; promote the prevention and fight against corruption, waste and negativity. Do a good job of information and communication work to create social consensus.

Strengthen national defense, maintain political security, social order and safety; resolutely protect national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity on the basis of international law. Proactively and actively integrate into the international community, fulfill the role of ASEAN Chair 2020 and non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2020-2021 term, enhance Vietnam's role and position in the region and the world.

I hope that our compatriots and soldiers nationwide and overseas Vietnamese will continue to uphold the tradition of patriotism, self-reliance, aspiration, intelligence and enthusiasm, join hands and walk firmly on the path of innovation, for a peaceful, independent, prosperous and developed Vietnam. I also sincerely hope that international friends will continue to cooperate, help, always accompany and support Vietnam in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland, for peace, progress and happiness of the Vietnamese people and people of countries around the world.

On the occasion of the New Year 2020 and the traditional Lunar New Year of the Rat, on behalf of the Party and State leaders, I would like to send my warmest regards and best wishes to all compatriots, soldiers nationwide, and overseas Vietnamese. I wish every family and every Vietnamese person a new year filled with good health, happiness, peace, and prosperity. I would also like to send my best wishes for peace, friendship, prosperity, and happiness to friends around the world.

Sincerely thank the General Secretary and President. Wishing the General Secretary, President and family good health, happiness and success in the New Year!

VNA