President  Nguyen Xuan Phuc (4th from left) presents a portrait of President HCM to the National Congress of Lawyers, December 26, 2021. (Photo: Thong Nhat/VNA)

President Phuc, who is also head of the Central Steering Committee for Judicial Reform, affirmed that the Party and State always pay attention to reforming the institutions, organisation and activities of lawyers.

He praised their efforts to protect justice, rights to freedom and democracy of citizens, and rights and legitimate interests of individuals and institutions, thus contributing to the country's socio-economic development and judicial reform, as well as to building and improving  the law-governed socialist State, and ensuring democracy, justice and civilisation. 

President Phuc stressed that in the context of extensive international integration, it is necessary to strengthen international cooperation, create conditions for Vietnamese lawyers to exchange and learn from international experience, and actively participate in safeguarding the rights and interests of Vietnamese enterprises, and protecting national interests in international legal disputes.

At present, Vietnam has more than 16,000 lawyers and more than 4,000 law-practicing organisations.