Vietnam, equipped with achievements attained in the renewal process during the past 25 years, will surely surmount all challenges that may arise to make bigger accomplishments on the path to becoming a modern industrialised country by 2020 as planned.

This statement was made by President Nguyen Minh Triet during an interview he granted to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the lunar New Year festival.

He described the 6.7 percent GDP growth rate, stable security and social order, and development in the spheres of culture, social affairs, health care and education as impressive outcomes achieve by the country in 2010.

“The outcomes are products of the unity that was jointly generated by the entire Party, people and army,” President Triet said.

The leader referred to an ODA sum of more than 7.9 million USD committed at the Consultative Group (CG) meeting in late 2010 as a strong indication of foreign partners’ confidence in stable development in Vietnam.

The year 2010 also witnessed marvellous accomplishments in external relations, President Triet said.

He laid stress on the country’s role as ASEAN Chair at a time when all members of the association were working towards the establishment of the ASEAN Community by 2015, its joint hosting of the ASEAN and US leaders’ meeting in New York, its participation in G-20 events in Canada and the Republic of Korea, as well as its emergence as a world role model in implementing Millennium Development Goals at the UN Summit on MDGs.

President Triet recalled major events held in 2010 (lunar year), including the 80th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the 65th National Day, the 120th birth anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh, the 1,000th founding anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi, the 35th anniversary of Liberation of the South and National Reunification, and the 11th National Party Congress.

He said these events offered the country a chance to look back on what the people had achieved during the development process in recent decades.

During the interview, President Triet spoke of the country’s weaknesses that need to be addressed, citing weak competitiveness and low-level stability of the national economy as reasons for the uncertain sustainability of the country’s development, and problems in traffic, forest protection and State management.

“The most important thing for us is that we dare to look at the truth, figure out causes of these problems and address them,” he said.

Around orientations for the country’s future development, the State President affirmed that orientations and tasks for the country in the next five-year period have been outlined at the freshly-concluded 11th National Party Congress.

At the Congress, the Platform for National Construction in the transitional period towards socialism was examined, supplemented and developed to fit in with the situation, requirements and tasks under new circumstances and the 2011-20 Socio-economic Development Strategy was adopted, Mr. Triet said.

“We have overcome the most difficult period to date, and become a middle-income country. These will create a driving force for us to make faster and more stable steps of development towards the goal of becoming a modern industrialised country by 2020,” he added.

Regarding the need to promote the nation’s strengths, President Triet cited the late President Ho Chi Minh’s teaching as saying the Vietnamese government is one of the people, by the people, and for the people. The Communist Party of Vietnam’s existence is also for the people”. He asserted the necessity of giving top priority to ensuring benefits for the people — independence, freedom and happiness – which will enable them to become masters of the country to which they will devote their strength and talents.

The President also underlined the need for the country to develop the market economy in line with socialist orientations, noting the work will create a vision for the country to achieve sustainable development and social equality.

In conclusion, President Triet called on the entire people, army and overseas Vietnamese to joint efforts to make the country’s development steadier and faster in the coming years.

Source: VNA