Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong extended Tet (Lunar New Year) greetings to leaders of the Party, State, Vietnam Fatherland Committee as well as the whole Vietnamese people in and outside the country at a get-together in Hanoi on February 1.

Party General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong

The event brought together former Party General Secretaries Le Kha Phieu and Nong Duc Manh, former President Tran Duc Luong, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, former NA Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung, and President of the Vietnam Fatherland Central Committee Tran Thanh Man, among others.

Party General Secretary and President Trong said that with the efforts of the whole Party, people, and armed forces, Vietnam fulfilled and surpassed all 12 basic criteria in 2018 with economic growth of over 7 percent and people’s living conditions improved.

Defence, security, independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and national interest have been safeguarded while external relations and international integration have been expanded. The building of the Party and political system has been strengthened, while anti-corruption work has been intensified with many achievements, noted the leader.

He underscored that the attainments achieved in 2018 in all fields have enhanced the trust of Party members, officials and community in the Party and the national reform cause, creating a synergy in the society and new hopes for 2019.

On the occasion of the upcoming traditional festival, the leader thanked veteran revolutionaries, Vietnam Heroic Mothers, officials, Party members and the whole Vietnamese people at home and abroad for their contributions to the national construction and defence.

He also thanked international organizations and foreign friends for their support and coordination.

Highlighting the importance of 2019 when the country marks 50 years of implementing President Ho Chi Minh’s will, coming close to the finalization of five-year socio-economic development plan and preparing for the Party’s 13th National Congress, the leader called for the whole Party, people and army to promote self-strength, activeness and innovation, thus continuing to promote the achieved successes and overcome challenges and difficulties, completing all set plans and tasks.

Party General Secretary and President Trong stressed the need to maintain macro-economic stability and control inflation, strengthen defence and security, firmly safeguard the country’s independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity, protect the environment, proactively respond to climate change and natural calamities, and broaden foreign relations and international integration, thus enhancing the status of Vietnam in the world arena and continuing maintaining a peaceful and stable environment for development.

He laid a special stress on the need to continue making drastic changes in the building and strengthening of the Party and the political system.

He expressed his belief that with great patriotism, traditional solidarity, brainpower and resilient spirit of Vietnamese people as well as the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the country will continue attaining more successes in the Year of the Pig.-VNA