Pretoria - The Communist Party of Vietnam is hosting its 13th five-yearly National Congress in the capital city of Hanoi.
As with many events in the time of the coronavirus pandemic, this congress - being attended by more than 1 500 delegates representing the central level, 63 provinces and municipalities across the South-East Asian country - features strict protocols.
According to local media, delegates were tested for Covid-19 ahead of the congress and have constant coronavirus screenings during the event. Vietnam has been praised for its fight against the pandemic, having recorded just over 1 600 cases and 35 deaths from Covid-19.
The National Congress has adopted the motto “Solidarity - Democracy - Discipline - Creativeness - Development” with a number of aims:
- Strengthening the Communist Party and the country’s political system;
- Stimulating the will and determination for national development;
- Promoting national unity’;
- Accelerating reform;
- Safeguarding a peaceful and stable environment; and
- Striving to make Vietnam a socialist-oriented developed nation by the middle of the 21st century.
Aside from its domestic agenda, the world will be watching the congress with interest as Vietnam is an important strategic partner for both China and the US.
Vietnam has played an active role in common affairs of the international community, international and regional forums and organisations, and follows a foreign policy of multilateralism and friendship, recognising the independence and autonomy of sovereign countries and seeking peace, co-operation and development in its relationships.
The congress comes at a time when Vietnam marks a number of key moments in recent history: reflecting on and advancing resolutions of the 12th National Party Congress, 35 years of implementing the “Doi Moi” (Renewal) process, 30 years since the 1991 Political Platform - and 10 years since the amended Political Platform.
It embraces the National Socio-economic Development Strategy and visions for national development to 2045, and will elect a new Party Central Committee.
The congress has been opened up virtually to the foreign media, and attended in person by the diplomatic corps of foreign countries and chief representatives of international organisations in Hanoi, as well as the Heroic Mothers, academics, religious leaders and the youth.
An important foundation to implement this task, according to local diplomats, has been to continue “building a comprehensive and modern diplomacy” with focus on the three pillars of Party diplomacy, State diplomacy and people-to-people diplomacy.
Vietnam has diplomatic relations with 189 members of the United Nations - including South Africa - and long-term co-operation frameworks with 30 strategic and comprehensive partners, including all ASEAN countries and most of the G20.
As a key member of the ASEAN bloc, Vietnam has negotiated, ratified and signed key free trade agreements, namely the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and the UK-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA), promoting international economic integration and creating new impetus for economic recovery.
In 2020, as ASEAN chair, Vietnam was particularly involved in co-ordination with other nations in the region in responding to the pandemic, and outlining the post-pandemic economic recovery and development plan.
In November last year South Africa along, with Cuba and Colombia, signed the instruments of accession to ASEAN’s Treaty of Amity and Co-operation (TAC), opening the way to greater trade in the region.
Vietnam was also a non-permanent UN Security Council member in the 2020-21 tenure, and among its duties organised a meeting on strengthening implementation of the UN Charter, highlighted the issue of co-operation between the UNSC and ASEAN, and participated in the UN peacekeeping force.
The UN General Assembly also approved a resolution drafted by Vietnam to declare December 27 as the International Day of Epidemic Preparedness.
The 13th National Congress ends on Tuesday and will set the country’s vision and proposed future trajectory in terms of its domestic and international policies.
Pretoria News