A conference on implementing the Party Central Committee's conclusion and the 15th NA's resolution on socio-economic development in 2022 (photo: Nhat Bac)

The Party leader stressed the importance of keeping a close watch on pandemic developments at home and abroad, especially threats from new coronavirus variants, so as to respond appropriately with new measures and policies while steadily pursuing a strategy of safely and flexibly adapting to and containing the pandemic at all levels in all sectors. This strategy includes hastening to administer two doses of vaccine to everyone eligible. Mr. Trong said sectors and localities need to ensure sufficient vaccines, medicines, and medical equipment, improve the capacity of the health care sector, especially at the grassroots level, and strictly enforce disease prevention measures.

Mr. Trong also stressed the importance of cultural development, hand in hand with economic development, to improve people’s spiritual as well as material life.

He urged more effective implementation of support policies designed to help workers and businesses affected by the pandemic; better care of social beneficiaries and disadvantaged people; and more attention to new rural development, urban development, job generation, and sustainable poverty reduction. Mr. Trong said resources must be allocated to programs and policies supporting ethnic minority people in mountain areas and to cultural mechanisms in industrial parks and new urban areas that preserve and promote cultural values and heritages. The Party leader called for greater efforts to responsibly manage natural resources, protect the environment, and respond to natural disasters and climate change.

He said Vietnam must strengthen its defense-security capability, maintain political stability and social order, improve the effectiveness of its diplomacy and international integration, prevent any sabotage by hostile forces, and avoid ever being taken by surprise.

Mr. Trong said Vietnam needs to strengthen high-level diplomacy, deepen relationships with its partners, promote multilateral diplomacy, and take full advantage of free trade agreements.

Vietnam must step up building and rectifying its Party and political system, particularly legislative, law enforcement, and judicial systems at all levels, he said. He emphasized the need to build a transparent, strong, effective, and efficient Government and local administrations.

He said it’s important to tighten discipline, carry out regular inspections, and improve public services and the professionalism of civil servants.

The Party leader called for plans and programs to quickly implement the Party Central Committee’s resolutions and decisions, especially the Resolution adopted by the fourth plenum of the 12th Party Central Committee and the Conclusion of the fourth plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee on Party building and rectification, and fighting degradation in political thought, moral virtue, or lifestyle, as well as “self-evolution” or “self-transformation”, by studying and following the thought, moral virtue, and lifestyle of President Ho Chi Minh.

He called for resolutely fighting corruption and negative behavior and quickly investigating, prosecuting, and trying serious cases.

In conclusion, the Party leader said, Vietnam needs to continue to promote innovation and creativity and the State, Government, and local administrations need to continue to tighten discipline and improve their performance. He called on the entire Party, people, and army to strengthen solidarity and consensus and work closely to fulfill all targets set for 2022 in order to realize the Resolution of the 13^th National Party Congress and aspirations for a strong, prosperous Vietnam.