| The 12th National Congress of the Communist Party of Viet Nam was held in Hanoi's National Convention Center from January 21 to 28. The Congress carried out its work under the theme "Promoting the building of a pure and strong Party while putting into play the strength of the entire nation and socialist democracy, stepping up reform comprehensively and synchronously, firmly safeguarding the Fatherland and maintaining a peaceful and stable environment, and striving to turn Vietnam into a modernity-oriented industrialized country." On January 20, delegates paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh by laying flowers at his mausoleum in Ha Noi, ahead of the Congress' preparatory session. Those paying tribute included Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung, as well as President of the Viet Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee Nguyen Thien Nhan, and members of the Political Bureau and the Secretariat of the Party Central Committee. They expressed their gratitude to the beloved late president and hero of national liberation who laid the ideological foundation of the revolutionary cause of the Communist Party of Viet Nam. The delegation then laid a wreath at the Monument to Heroes and Martyrs. A total of 1,510 delegates representing more than 4.5 million Party members attended the Congress which also received 235 messages of congratulations from foreign parties, organizations, friends and diplomatic corps, the Secretariat of the Congress reported. The Congress focused on reviewing the implementation of the Resolution of the 11th National Party Congress and three decades of doi moi (renewal), drawing lessons, and defining goals and missions for the entire Party, people and army for the next five years. As part of the proceedings, Nguyen Phu Trong was re-elected as General Secretary, along with the election of the 200 members of the Party's 12th Central Committee. In his closing speech, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong announced with pleasure that the 12th National Congress of the CPV had been a success. He said after eight days of working promptly and seriously in the spirit of "Solidarity -- Democracy -- Discipline -- Renewal" and with a high sense of responsibility, the Congress successfully completed all of the planned working agenda. Delegates discussed the work in a candid and democratic manner and unanimously passed important documents, including the Political Report and a report evaluating the implementation of socio-economic tasks between 2011 and 2015 and the orientation and tasks for the 2016-2020 period. They also approved a report reviewing the leadership of the 11th Party Central Committee; another on the execution of the Party statutes in the tenure of the 11th Central Committee, and a document summing up the implementation of the 11th Central Committee's fourth plenum's Resolution on urgent issues in Party-building. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong thanked delegates for their trust in the new 12th Central Committee of the Party -- the supreme organ on party affairs. He said the Committee is deeply aware of its great responsibility towards the Party, the people and the country. On behalf of the Committee, the General Secretary pledged to fulfil their tasks, leading the country to overcome difficulties and challenges to develop further in the coming period. The Party's leader also took the occasion to thank international parties, organizations, and friends for extending their congratulations to the Congress, which, he said, demonstrate their friendship and solidarity with the Vietnamese Party and people. He thanked press agencies both at home and abroad for their timely reporting about the Congress. The General Secretary called on the whole Party, people and army as well as Vietnamese expatriates to uphold patriotism, self-reliance and great national unity to realize the Resolution of the 12th Congress. This will help open a new development period for the country towards socialism, he concluded. Three Decades of Renewal At the opening session of the Communist Party of Viet Nam's 12th National Congress, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong delivered a report on the 11th Party Central Committee (the 2011-2015 term). The report highlighted core contents of the documents submitted to the Congress. They indicate that Viet Nam is: - firmly advancing on the path of renewal; - developing rapidly and sustainably while the country strives to industrialize itself; - firmly safeguarding the Motherland, maintaining a peaceful and stable environment, improving the effectiveness of its external activities, and proactively integrating into the world; - putting into play the strength of national unity and socialist democracy, and building and perfecting a law-governed socialist State; and building a pure and strong Party, and improving its leadership and capacity to combat adversity. The report also reviewed Viet Nam's achievements together with its shortcomings over the past five years, in politics, national security and defence, economics, culture, society, education and training, science and technology, diplomacy and international integration. Regarding the achievements made in three decades of doi moi (renewal), the report said it was an important period in advancing the cause of national construction and defence. Viet Nam has made great and historic achievements on the path to socialism and national security. However, there remain a number of major and complex issues that must be dealt with to develop the nation rapidly and sustainably, the report said. The report underlined that these achievements proved the Party's reform policy was sound and creative, and the country's path to socialism is in accordance with the country's current situation and trends in development, providing an important foundation for continued reform and vigorous growth in the years to come. It also pointed out that the reform period required more comprehensive and synchronous development in terms of politics, economics, culture, society, national defence and security, and diplomacy. Of these areas, socio-economic development is the focus, Party-building is the key, building culture and human resources is the moral foundation; and enhancing national defence and security is a vital task. To conclude, the report named six focal missions for the tenure of the 12th Central Committee (2016-2020). The first is to enhance Party-building and reorganization; prevent and fight the degradation of political thought, morality and lifestyle; and train a contingent of capable and reputable officials capable of performing their tasks. The second mission is to organize a political system with lean, efficient and effective apparatus, and bolster the fight against corruption, wastefulness and bureaucracy. Third, it is necessary to promote growth, labour productivity and competitiveness, and accelerate national industrialization and modernization with a focus on rural areas and new-style rural areas. The fourth task is to resolutely safeguard the country's independence, sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, and ensure peace and stability for national development. The fifth mission is to put all the country's resources and the people's creativity into promoting the strength of national unity. The last is to develop human resources in terms of morality, personality, lifestyle, intelligence and working capacity. |