Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh talks about his youth in Romania
Báo Tuổi Trẻ•21/01/2024
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh shared that he will never forget his youthful years in Romania, remembering every face of his teachers and friends there.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh - Photo: VGP
On January 20, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and his wife left Hungary for Romania. The visit marked the Prime Minister’s return to Romania in his new position, where he spent many years as a young man.
Prime Minister always remembers the contributions of teachers and friends of Romania
"I am very happy and moved to return to Romania this time and believe that the visit will contribute to promoting, strengthening, deepening, becoming more substantive and effective in the friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries, for the benefit of the two nations, of the two peoples, for peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world," Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh told Romania's Clever Group media group ahead of the visit. The head of the Government shared that he personally "always keeps deep impressions, good feelings and deep memories of the beautiful country of Romania, the hard-working, friendly, hospitable and loyal Romanian people". "I will never forget my youthful years of studying and working in Romania, remembering the faces, voices, laughter and very familiar images of Romanian teachers and friends. They are the ones who have made an important contribution to helping us international students achieve what we have today," Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed. He also emphasized that he and other former Vietnamese students and overseas students always remember and appreciate the contributions of teachers, friends and Romanian people who guided and helped us during our time studying here. "With the knowledge and expertise we have acquired in Romania, we have, are and will continue to contribute to the cause of building and defending the Fatherland of Vietnam, while actively contributing to the traditional friendship and cooperation between the two countries and peoples," the Prime Minister added.
5 lessons from Vietnam
Vietnam and Israel signed a free trade agreement (FTA) in July 2023 - Photo: VGP
On this occasion, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh answered questions about Vietnam's successful development experience, the country's development orientations and foreign policy. When asked about the lessons that have brought Vietnam to "remarkable, even extraordinary" development as it is today in all fields, the Prime Minister said that after nearly 40 years of renovation, Vietnam has never had such a foundation, potential, position and international prestige as it does today. The scale of the economy has increased more than 53 times, and per capita income has increased about 28 times. People's lives have improved significantly both materially and spiritually. The poverty rate has decreased from 60% in the early 1990s to 2.93% in 2023, Vietnam has completed the Millennium Development Goals early. Vietnam is currently an important link in global and regional supply chains and is one of the 20 economies with the largest trade scale in the world with a network of 16 signed FTAs and 3 FTAs under negotiation. The above important achievements have many causes, Vietnam has also drawn many lessons. One, firmly grasp the flag of national independence and socialism. Two, the revolutionary cause is of the people, by the people and for the people. Taking the people as the center, the subject, the driving force, the goal and the most important resource of development. Three, constantly consolidate and enhance solidarity: solidarity of the whole Party, solidarity of the whole people, national solidarity, international solidarity. Four, combine national strength with the strength of the times, domestic strength with international strength. Five, the correct leadership of the Party is the leading factor deciding the victory of the Vietnamese revolution.
District 1 area of Ho Chi Minh City - Photo: CHAU TUAN
Regarding the country's upcoming development direction, the Prime Minister said that the 13th National Party Congress clearly defined the goal of striving for Vietnam to become a developing country with modern industry by 2025, surpassing the low-middle income level. By 2030, Vietnam will be a developing country with modern industry and high-middle income, and by 2045, it will be a developed country with high income. To achieve the above strategic goals, Vietnam focuses on building the fundamental factors for rapid and sustainable development - namely socialist democracy, a socialist rule-of-law state and a socialist-oriented market economy. Vietnam also promotes the implementation of three strategic breakthroughs in institutional improvement, human resource development and the construction of a synchronous and modern infrastructure system. In terms of economy, it continues to prioritize promoting growth associated with maintaining macroeconomic stability, controlling inflation, and ensuring major balances of the economy. Focus on renewing traditional growth drivers (investment, consumption, export), while strongly promoting new growth drivers such as digital economy, green economy, circular economy, emerging industries and fields (such as artificial intelligence, semiconductor chips, hydrogen, etc.). Regarding culture, society, and environment, comprehensively develop Vietnamese people and build an advanced culture imbued with national identity. Vietnam does not sacrifice progress, social justice, and the environment in exchange for mere economic growth. Focus on ensuring social security, constantly improving the material and spiritual life of the people. Strengthen environmental protection, prevent natural disasters, and respond to climate change. Regarding national defense and security, the Prime Minister said that Vietnam maximizes the combined strength of the entire nation combined with the strength of the times to firmly protect the independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity of the Fatherland. Strengthening the fight against corruption, negativity, and waste, contributing to strengthening people's trust. Regarding foreign affairs, Vietnam firmly adheres to the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, multilateralization, diversification, being a good friend, a reliable partner, an active and responsible member of the international community. "Practice over the past years has shown that this is a very correct and timely policy of Vietnam, contributing to helping the country overcome difficulties and challenges, achieving great and historic achievements," the Prime Minister affirmed.
Bamboo diplomacy elevates Vietnam's position
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh welcomes General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping in December 2023 - Photo: VNA
Answering questions about Vietnam's relations with major countries, Vietnam's current role and position, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh shared that Vietnam understands better than anyone the value of peace. With the spirit of "putting aside the past, respecting differences, promoting similarities, and looking towards the future", Vietnam has turned enemies into friends, turned confrontation into dialogue, and become a model of healing and rising up after the war with open, comprehensive foreign relations and deep, substantive, and effective international integration. Achieving the above important achievements is first of all thanks to Vietnam's correct foreign policy and guidelines on the basis of closely following the practical situation, inheriting and promoting Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh's diplomatic thought, and strongly promoting the diplomatic identity of "Vietnamese bamboo: firm roots, strong trunk, flexible branches". "It is the firmness, flexibility and agility in implementing the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, friendship, cooperation, development, diversification, multilateralization, proactiveness and active international integration through all channels of the Party, State, National Assembly, Government and people that have created the combined strength of Vietnam's foreign affairs," the Prime Minister emphasized. Along with that, the achievements in socio-economic development, political and social stability, firmly ensuring national defense and security and persevering in the "four no's" defense policy have contributed to Vietnam's current international position and prestige. In the context of the regional and world situation forecast to continue to change rapidly, complicatedly and unpredictably, the Prime Minister emphasized that Vietnam wishes to join hands with countries, peoples and the international community to maintain a peaceful and stable environment, together create and promote new driving forces for growth and join hands in responding to global challenges.
There is still a lot of room for cooperation between Vietnam and Romania.
Responding to the Romanian media, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said that Vietnam and Romania have had a traditional friendship and very good cooperation for nearly 75 years and continue to expand and develop positively. Romania has actively supported the process of Vietnam and the EU negotiating, signing, ratifying and implementing the Vietnam - EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), and is one of the first two EU countries to ratify the Vietnam - EU Investment Protection Agreement (EVIPA). During the COVID-19 pandemic, Romania was also the first EU country to support vaccines for Vietnam. With great opportunities, potential and room for cooperation, on the basis of the existing good traditional relationship, Vietnam wishes to work with Romania to further deepen the cooperative relationship, strengthen political trust through increasing the exchange of high-level delegations and all levels, on all channels, and strengthen cooperation in multilateral and regional forums. Vietnam also wishes to continue to make breakthroughs in trade and investment to become a pillar in bilateral relations. Promoting cooperation in areas where Romania has strengths and Vietnam has potential such as education, culture, society, labor, digital economic development, green economy, circular economy, science and technology, artificial intelligence, emerging industries and fields...
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