Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong delivers the closing speech at the Conference. Photo: Tri Dung/VNA

Party leader Trong addressed a national conference held in Hanoi on Sunday by the Party Politburo and Secretariat to thoroughly understand and implement Resolution 24 of the 13th Politburo on socio-economic development, defense and security of the Southeast region by 2030 with a vision to 2045.

Following three national conferences on the Politburo's new resolutions on socio-economic development, defense and security assurance in the Mekong Delta; Northern Midlands and Mountains; and the Central Highlands, this is the 4th conference organized by the Politburo for the Southeast region, which includes Ho Chi Minh City and five centrally-run provinces of Tay Ninh, Binh Phuoc, Binh Duong, Dong Nai, and Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

Speaking at the conference, Party leader Trong said the 13th National Party Congress set out the goal that by 2030 Vietnam will become a developing country with modern industry and high average income; by 2045, it will become a developed and high-income country. This calls for a new resolution to create breakthrough changes in socio-economic development, defense and security assurance in the Southeast region in the new period, he said.

The Party General Secretary emphasized that the Resolution requires strong and dynamic innovation to build and develop the Southeast region into a center of economy, finance, trade, education and training, human resources, science and technology, innovation, digital transformation leading the country and Southeast Asia, playing a leading role in linking development in the Mekong Delta, Central Highlands, South Central coastal areas, and the whole country. Ho Chi Minh City must be a knowledge-based economic city, an international financial center, a destination for the middle class, intellectuals, especially young intellectuals, to live and work; and have a development level on par with major cities in Asia.

Party leader Trong said that besides being fully aware of the purpose, meaning, requirements and content of the Resolution, it’s imperative to step up the building and perfecting of institutions and policies for the development of the region on the basis of mindset change.