General Secretary: Increased national strength creates new position and power

The nation's overall strength has increased significantly, creating new momentum and strength for the country to continue to develop with good prospects.

In the atmosphere of the whole country celebrating Spring and the 87th anniversary of our Party, on the morning of January 25, at the Presidential Palace, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong chaired a meeting and extended New Year greetings to veteran revolutionaries, leaders and former leaders of the Party, State, and Vietnam Fatherland Front, along with all comrades, compatriots, soldiers nationwide, and overseas Vietnamese.

Attending the meeting were former General Secretaries Le Kha Phieu and Nong Duc Manh; President Tran Dai Quang; former President Tran Duc Luong; Prime Minister Nguyen Nguyen Xuan Phuc; National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan; former National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung; Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Nguyen Thien Nhan; veteran revolutionaries; leaders and former leaders of the Party, State, central departments, ministries, sectors, and organizations and Hanoi city.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong wishes a happy New Year to Party and State leaders, compatriots and soldiers nationwide.

On behalf of the Party Central Committee, the General Secretary sends his respectful greetings, sincere greetings and best wishes to veteran revolutionaries, leaders and former leaders of the Party, State and Vietnam Fatherland Front, and all comrades, compatriots and soldiers nationwide and our compatriots abroad.

The General Secretary emphasized that our country has just gone through the Year of the Monkey 2016 - the first year of implementing the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress with many exciting and diverse events. Notably, the successful organization of the 12th National Party Congress and the election of deputies to the 14th National Assembly and People's Councils at all levels for the 2016-2021 term; the organization and personnel of the state apparatus have been quickly completed, political stability has been maintained, and the set goals and tasks have been promptly implemented.

Thanks to the strong, dynamic and drastic innovation in leadership, direction and implementation, and the efforts of the entire Party, people and army, our country's socio-economy continued to have positive changes and achieved important results in most areas. The macro-economy was stable. Major balances were basically guaranteed. Inflation was controlled. GDP increased by 6.21%. Foreign exchange reserves reached 41 billion USD, the highest ever. Foreign investment attraction reached a record with realized capital reaching 15.8 billion USD.

"For the first time, we have 110,000 newly established enterprises. For the first time, the number of foreign tourists reached 10 million, domestic tourists 62 million; total revenue from tourism reached nearly 20 billion USD. Social culture has progressed; social security is guaranteed, social welfare and the material and spiritual life of the people have improved; poverty reduction, policy implementation for people with meritorious services, and health care for the people have been actively implemented" - General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said.

Foreign affairs and international integration activities have achieved many important results, contributing to enhancing the country's prestige and position in the international arena. National defense and security have been strengthened, national sovereignty has been maintained. The work of Party building and rectification, the fight against corruption, waste and negativity has continued to be strengthened. Many particularly serious economic corruption cases have been brought to trial; many negative violations have been handled, with the consensus and support of a large number of cadres, party members and people. The democratic atmosphere within the Party and in society has been increasingly promoted.

The overall strength of the nation has increased significantly, creating new momentum and strength for the country to continue to develop with good prospects. The results achieved in the past year are very important, creating momentum for implementing the 5-year plan 2016 - 2020, successfully implementing the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong emphasized that on this occasion, we would like to express our respect and deep gratitude to the veteran revolutionaries, cadres, party members, compatriots and soldiers nationwide, and overseas Vietnamese who have made great contributions to the nation's revolutionary cause in recent years, especially in 2016; send our thanks and best wishes to the cadres and soldiers who are day and night firmly holding their guns to protect the sovereignty of the territory, seas and islands of the Fatherland; and thank international organizations and friendly countries near and far for their cooperation, assistance and support in the cause of building and defending our Fatherland.

The General Secretary met and wished a Happy New Year to veteran revolutionaries, leaders and former leaders of the Party, State and Vietnam Fatherland Front.

2017 is the second year of implementing the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress. The entire Party, the entire people, and the entire army are experiencing new momentum; the entire political system is taking action, gaining high consensus in society and among the people. Our country is integrating internationally with an increasingly deeper and broader scope. Our position, strength, combined power, and international prestige are increasingly high.

However, the country still faces many difficulties and challenges, requiring great efforts and determination to successfully complete the tasks of 2017. The focus is: striving to complete the socio-economic development tasks at the highest level; strengthening macroeconomic stability, focusing on removing difficulties for production and business activities; strongly implementing strategic breakthroughs, restructuring the economy in conjunction with transforming the growth model, improving labor productivity, efficiency and competitiveness of the economy, striving for higher growth than in 2016.

Continue to develop the fields of culture, society, education, science, technology, environmental protection, ensure social security and social welfare, improve people's lives. Continue to promote Party building, administrative reform, judicial reform, anti-corruption, practice thrift, combat waste. Strengthen national defense and security, firmly protect national sovereignty, ensure political security, social order and safety and a peaceful and stable environment for national development. Synchronously deploy foreign affairs and international integration in the spirit of maximizing internal strength, improving the effectiveness of international cooperation, ensuring independence, autonomy and the socialist regime.

According to the General Secretary, Party committees, Party organizations, agencies, organizations and units need to focus on leading and directing the implementation of the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress, doing a good job of disseminating and propagating widely throughout the Party, the people and the army, and effectively implementing the Resolution of the 4th Central Conference of the 12th tenure on Party building and rectification and other Resolutions of the Central Committee, bringing the Resolution into life; successfully implementing the socio-economic development tasks in 2017 and the 5-year plan for 2016-2020.

In the immediate future, it is necessary to boost production; care for the lives of people, cadres and soldiers on duty at the border, sea and islands, protecting the Fatherland; take care of Tet for families with preferential treatment, the poor, people in especially difficult circumstances; people in mountainous and ethnic areas; strengthen market management; ensure traffic and traffic safety during Tet and holidays.

To carry out the above-mentioned directions and tasks, the General Secretary noted that the entire Party, people and army need to strengthen solidarity, join hands and unite, promote patriotism, Vietnamese mettle and intelligence, and the nation's cultural traditions, strive to overcome all difficulties and challenges, turn opportunities into reality, and build our country to be increasingly prosperous and happy./.

According to VOV