Hanoi (VNA) - Party GeneralSecretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong chaired a get-together on the occasionof the traditional Lunar New Year on January 22 with veteran revolutionaries,current and former leaders of the Party, State, Vietnam Fatherland Front, andoverseas Vietnamese.

TheParty and State leader offered his New Year wishes to all veteran revolutionaries,incumbent and former leaders of the Party, State and the Vietnam FatherlandFront as well as the entire Vietnamese people in and outside the country on theoccasion of the Lunar New Year festival (Tet).

Hehighlighted the great achievements that the country has gained in almost allthe fields in 2019, saying that with an economic growth of over 7 percent,Vietnam is among the countries with the highest growth in the region and theworld.

The GDP scale reached 266 billion USD and per capita income stood at 2,800 USD.Meanwhile, the macro-economy hasbeen kept stableand inflation placed under control.

2019 is the second consecutive year that all the 12 targets set by the NationalAssembly  have been completed, he said.

The leader alsoacknowledged the obvious progress in social security, health care, science-technology,education – training, job creation, sustainable poverty reduction, start-upmovement, and construction of new-style rural areas. The country has alsoachieved some outstanding results in sports and improved the material andspiritual life of the people.

Trong stressedthat political security, social order and safety have been maintained, nationaldefence and security  resources continuouslystrengthened, external affairs and international integration expanded, contributingto creating a peaceful and stable environment for development, firmly defendingthe nation’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and strategic interests.

Vietnam was elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, contributingto improving the prestige, role and position of the country in theinternational arena, he stressed.

The Party and State leader also underlined achievements in Party and politicalsystem building, as well as in the fight against corruption and wastefulness,saying that the concerted, firm and comprehensive measures that avoided neither“banned zone” nor exception in the work have produced big effects. Theinvestigation and trial of many major economic and corruptive cases have wonthe support and approval of officials, Party members and people.

Hespotlighted the crucial significance of 2020 as it is the last year implementingthe Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress; and the year for conductingparty congresses at all levels towards the 13th National Congress ofthe Party.

Vietnamwill mark the 90th founding anniversary of the Communist Party ofVietnam and the VFF, the 75th National Day, the 130th birthday of President Ho Chi Minh in the year. The country is also serving as Chairof the ASEAN and a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the term2020-2021, he said.

The Party and State leader called on the whole Party, the entire people and armyto make greater efforts to overcome difficulties and challenges, and fully tap allpotential, advantages and resources, in order to strengthen the macro-economicfoundation, control inflation, improve internal capacity and autonomy of theeconomy.

It is necessary to focus on improving the business and investment environment,promoting faster, more sustainable and substantive growth, he said, adding thatattention should be paid to managing natural resources, protecting the environment,preventing natural disasters and adapting to climate change.

He askedfor special attention to be paid to strengthening the defense and security strength;firmly maintaining the independence, sovereignty, unity and territorialintegrity of the country; maintaining political stability, social order andsafety; and improving the effectiveness of diplomatic activities and internationalintegration.

Vietnam will strive to successfully complete its tasks as ASEAN Chair in 2020and non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the term 2020-2021, thuspromoting Vietnam as a reliable partner for sustainable peace to internationalfriends, he said.

The Party chief emphasized the need to promote the building of the Party andpolitical system along with the intensive implementation of the campaign on studying andfollowing of President Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and lifestyle, while fighting degradation in politicalideology, morality, lifestyle, “self-evolution” and“self-transformation” among Party officials and members.

He underlined that the personal workmust be improved and efforts focused on making thorough preparations for theorganization of Party congresses at all levels towards the 13th National Party Congress.

“Whether we can awake the potential and turn it into our resources for nationalconstruction and defence depends on the will of the entire Party and nation aswell as of each Vietnamese,” the Party and State leader said, expressing hisbelief that the country will gain greater achievements in 2020./.