Ruling communist party congress kicks off in Vietnam

JAKARTA, Indonesia

The ruling Communist Party of Vietnam opened its national congress on Monday paying homage to former President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum in the capital Hanoi.

In a statement, the party said 1,587 delegates representing more than 5.1 million party members nationwide would be attending the 13th National Party Congress, which it said would be an important political event of the party, military and people as a milestone for development.

Among those in attendance in the event that will last until Feb. 2 will be Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and Chairwoman of the National Assembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, according to the statement.

It said that the congress, among other things, will "define the socio-economic development orientations and tasks for 2021 - 2025, as well as the goals and orientations for 2030 and the national development vision to 2045."

It will also review the leadership of the 12th Party Central Committee term and elect a new committee for the 13th, the statement added.

The Communist Party of Vietnam is the founding and ruling party of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam founded in 1930 by former President Ho Chi Minh.

According to data by the Vietnam Bureau of Statistics, the country's economy grew 2.62% in the third quarter of 2020 -- one of the highest in Southeast Asia amid a massive downturn in the region.

Economic growth jumped 0.39% year-on-year from the previous quarter, driven by exports of personal computers which have increased during the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The International Monetary Fund predicted that Vietnam would have a strong economic recovery in 2021.

*Writing by Rhany Chairunissa Rufinaldo from Anadolu Agency's Indonesian-language service in Jakarta.