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% AT A GLANCE Congratulations on Bulgaria National Liberation Day

PARTY CHIEF CALLS FRIENDS AND PARTNERS TOP-LEVEL PHONE TALKS

Following the 13th National Party Sisoulith, Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) President and Prime
Congress, which successfully con- Minister of Cambodia Hun Sen, Party General Secretary and State
cluded on February 1, Party General President of China Xi Jinping, Chairman of the United Russia Party
Secretary and State President and Deputy Chair of Russia’s Security Council Dmitry Medvedev,
Nguyen Phu Trong held phone talks and First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) Central
with a number of foreign leaders, informing them of the results of Committee Raul Castro Ruz. For their part, the foreign leaders spoke
the congress and the new policies and decisions adopted and recon- highly of the 13th National Party Congress, congratulated Mr. Trong
firming Vietnam’s friendship and cooperation. Foreign leaders included on his re-election as Vietnam’s top Party leader, and reiterated their
Party General Secretary and Prime Minister of Laos Thongloun partnership with Vietnam.

POLITBURO & SECRETARIAT FIRST GATHERING POST-CONGRESS
The Politburo and Secretariat of the 13th-tenure Party Central Com- are scheduled for May. Addressing
mittee held their first session in Hanoi on February 18, where they the session, Party General Secretary
discussed key tasks for the first quarter and the policy for purchasing and State President Nguyen Phu
and using Covid-19 vaccines. The two bodies asked Party Committees Trong called for the successful
at all levels to focus on leadership and direction and offer all possible organizing of the elections of
support to fight the pandemic, considering the task a top priority. deputies to the legislature and People’s Councils at all levels; a
They highlighted the need to immediately realize the Resolution greater focus on socio-economic development and political and
adopted by the 13th National Party Congress as well as the Politburo’s external affairs tasks, as assigned; the firm safeguarding of border
Directive on the elections of deputies to the 15th National Assembly sovereignty and territorial integrity; and ensuring political security
and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2021-2026 tenure, which and social safety and order.

NATIONAL PROGRAM ADOPTED HIGH TECH DEVELOPMENT
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc fields. One of the major objectives of the program is to increase the
signed Decision No. 130/QD-TTg export value of high-tech products to about 60 per cent of the total in
on January 27 to officially adopt the manufacturing and processing industry and raise the proportion
the national program on high tech- of high-tech agricultural production in total agricultural production
nology development to 2030, which value, while creating new products and services with high added value.
aims to develop and master 20 pri- The program targets the building of about 500 new high-tech product
oritized technologies in different suppliers along with about 200 high-tech agricultural enterprises.

STATE MANAGEMENT MORE ASSISTANCE FOR PRIVATE SECTOR
A draft plan on comprehensively reforming State economic management on economic affairs will be also
was discussed at a meeting of permanent members of the government composed in a way that respects
on February 18. The draft plan is intended to carry out the Party the rules of the market, ensures
Central Committee’s Resolution No. 10-NQ/TW on developing the consistency and comprehensiveness,
private sector into an important driving force of Vietnam’s socialist- and treats businesses and organi-
oriented market economy. According to Minister of Planning and zations equally, regardless of which
Investment Nguyen Chi Dung, with five groups of solutions and 25 economic sector they belong to. Addressing the meeting, Prime
tasks, the draft plan targets that, by 2030, State management methods Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said that as the private sector has grown
will be reformed in a fundamental and comprehensive manner and rapidly in recent times, with the emergence of many major firms, the
aligned with international principles and practices so as to create a draft needs to identify obstacles to the sector’s development and set
favorable business climate for all economic sectors. Policies and laws forth solutions.

VIETNAM BACKS TRANSITION TO DEMOCRACY MYANMAR CRISIS
Vietnam calls on the international the appeal during the 29th special session of the UN Human Rights
community and development part- Council (UNHRC), held online in Geneva on February 12. As a
ners to further support the transition member of ASEAN, Vietnam has kept a close watch on developments
to democracy in Myanmar, match- in Myanmar and hopes that the country will soon stabilize the
ing the wishes and interests of the situation for national construction and development as well as for
Myanmar people. Ambassador Le peace, stability and cooperation in the region, while making greater
Thi Tuyet Mai, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, contributions to the building of the ASEAN Community, the ambas-
the WTO, and other international organizations in Geneva, made sador said.

10 | VIETNAM ECONOMIC TIMES | MARCH 2021