(VOVworld) – Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung chaired the government monthly meeting for June over the last two days in Hanoi.

Cabinet members and local leaders agreed that the macro-economy remained stable, inflation was controlled with the consumer price index in June being the lowest in the same period over the last 13 years, and agriculture and budget collection increased to ensure major economic balances, Vietnam’s growth rate in the first 6 months of the year was 5.18%. Concerning China’s infringement of Vietnamese waters, Vietnamese localities showed their support for Vietnam’s consistent policy and resolute measures to defend national sovereignty as well as to deal with arising issues regarding security, public order, and investment, Chairman of Ha Giang province Dam Van Bong said: “Relations between Ha Giang and Chinese border provinces remain normal. Security has been maintained along the 277km borderline. The party committee and people of Ha Giang believe in the policies of the party and state on the East Sea issue.”

In his closing speech, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung asked cabinet members and leaders of localities to be ready for any contingencies: “We must continue with peaceful measures in accordance with international law to defend our sovereignty. This is a sacred task and we must put all of our efforts into it. The second task is to ensure political security and public order. The last task is to achieve a growth rate of 5.8% this year.”

Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said while restructuring the economy, the government has been carrying out measures to expand the export market, boost negotiations of bilateral and trans-national free trade agreements, and finalize mechanisms and policies concerning the bidding and imports of input materials in order to reduce dependence on a certain market. He asked ministries and localities to fine-tune the socialist-oriented market economy mechanism along with administrative reform and investment attraction. He also called for measures to accelerate international economic integration, remove obstacles for business production, and fight smuggling and trade frauds. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung asked ministries and localities to accelerate the restructuring of state-owned enterprises, the banking system and agriculture together with the new rural development.

He said that more efforts should be made to reduce poverty, particularly in ethnic and disaster-prone areas, prevent floods and storms, and increase communications to create social consensus.