Hanoi(VNA) – The 13th National Party Congress will mark a newmilestone in the development process of Vietnam and its Party, as it will shapethe country’s future and propel its international integration, said NicolasDervaux, Representative of the Governments of the French-Speaking Community ofBelgium and the Walloon Region in Vietnam.

The congress is scheduled to run from January 25 to February2 in Hanoi.

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


He also reviewed Vietnam’s important achievements during its35 years of reform, saying the attainment of 2.91-percent growth in 2020, amongthe highest in the world, was a success amid COVID-19. The country’sinternational integration has been promoted through free trade agreements,while its politic, economic and defence situations have been kept stable.

Last year, Vietnam undertook the chairmanship roles of the Associationof Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly(AIPA). It is also a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for2020-2021.

The congress also plays an important role in defining futuretrends in East Asia, he noted.

Vietnam, as Chair of ASEAN 2020, succeeded in getting the 10-nationbloc to assert that the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seashould be the basis for rights and sovereign rights in the East Sea. Also underVietnam's chairmanship, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) wassigned, creating the largest free trade agreement in the world.

Vietnam's international position has improved because itsruling party is capable of connecting with different poles and defending thenation’s sovereignty and economic interests, he affirmed, adding that thecountry maintains close and good relations with India, Russia, the EuropeanUnion, the United States and China.

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

The results Vietnam obtained in recent years in bothsocio-economic development and quality of life are appreciated by Vietnamesepeople, said Dervaux.

All were carried out under the leadership of the CommunistParty of Vietnam, whose role is extremely important for the country in the yearsof war as well as during the renewal process, he said.


The 13th National Party Congress will review theimplementation of the Resolution of the previous congress; 35 years ofrenovation; 30 years of implementing the 1991 Platform; and the realization of thesocio-economic development strategy for 2011-2020. It will outline directionsand tasks for the 2021-2026 tenure as well as identify goals and orientationstoward 2030 and a national development vision to 2045.

The official said he was confident that with this Congress,Vietnam will set a right path for the next period in line with the country’sobjectives and specificities, and global trends./.