Nicolas Dervaux, Representative of the Governments of the French-Speaking Community of Belgium and the Walloon Region in Việt Nam.

HÀ NỘI – The 13th National Party Congress will mark a new milestone in the development process of Việt Nam and its Party, as it will shape the country’s future and propel its international integration, said Nicolas Dervaux, Representative of the Governments of the French-Speaking Community of Belgium and the Walloon Region in Việt Nam. 

The congress is scheduled to run from January 25 to February 2 in Hà Nội.

In an exclusive interview with the Vietnam News Agency, Dervaux highlighted that a capable team of new leaders will be elected to steer the nation, while new strategies will be passed to accelerate growth in the next five years across all fields from politics, economy to culture.

He also reviewed Việt Nam’s important achievements during its 35 years of reform, saying the attainment of 2.91-per cent growth in 2020, among the highest in the world, was a success amid COVID-19. The country’s international integration has been promoted through free trade agreements, while its political, economic and defence situations have been kept stable.

Last year, Việt Nam undertook the chairmanship roles of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA). It is also a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2020-2021.

The congress also would play an important role in defining future trends in East Asia, he noted.

Việt Nam, as Chair of ASEAN 2020, succeeded in getting the 10-nation bloc to assert that the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea should be the basis for rights and sovereign rights in the East Sea. Also under Việt Nam's chairmanship, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) was signed, creating the largest free trade agreement in the world.

Việt Nam's international position had improved because its ruling party was capable of connecting with different poles and defending the nation’s sovereignty and economic interests, he affirmed, adding that the country maintains close and good relations with India, Russia, the European Union, the United States and China.

The country’s success in COVID-19 also helped increase its position and prestige, he said.

The results Việt Nam obtained in recent years in both socio-economic development and quality of life were appreciated by Vietnamese people, said Dervaux.

All were carried out under the leadership of the Communist Party of Việt Nam, whose role is extremely important for the country in the years of war as well as during the renewal process, he said.

The official said he was confident that with this Congress, Viet Nam would set a right path for the next period in line with the country’s objectives and specificities, and global trends. — VNS