Vietnam News Today (March 25): National Assembly to scrutinize Government’s Performance, elect New Leaders

	Vietnam News Today (March 24): Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union solemnly marks 90th anniversary
	Vietnam News Today (March 23): Top leader holds phone talks with Japanese PM Suga
	Vietnam News Today (March 22): Vietnamese-funded new National Assembly Building handed over to Laos

The 11th sitting of the 14th National Assembly (NA) opens in Ha Noi on March 24, 2021 - Photo: VGP

National Assembly to scrutinize Government’s Performance, elect New Leaders

The National Assembly will scrutinize the Government’s five-year performance report during its 11th working session which opened in Ha Noi this morning.

According to the Government’s report summarizing key facts and figures in the 2016-2020 period, the average economic growth rate was 6.8% and 5.99% in 2016-2019 and 2016-2020 period respectively.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the economy expanded 2.91% in 2020, becoming one of the fastest-growing economies in the world.

The national poverty rate fell by 1.4% annually to about 2.75% in 2020.

Foreign investment inflows were estimated at US$173-174 billion while the disbursed volume reached around US$92-93 billion in the reviewed period.

The average growth rate of labor productivity during the 2016-2020 was 5.9% compared to 4.3% in the 2011-2015 period.

The Total Factor Productivity’s contribution to GDP was estimated at 45.72% in the 2016-2020 period, compared to the preset goal of 30-35%.

During the 12-day session, the law-makers will also discuss other reports presented by the State President, the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, National Assembly’s Committees, the Supreme People’s Court, the Supreme People’s Procuracy, and the State Audit of Viet Nam.

The legislative body is expected to elect new State President, new Prime Minister, new Legislature Chairperson and other key leaders, as reported by VGP.

Vietnam to have new State President in early April

The National Assembly is to convene its last session during the 2016-2021 tenure in Hanoi on March 24 and is expected to elect key leaders in the State apparatus, including the State President in early April.

Besides routine work, including legislation and preparations for the upcoming National Assembly and grassroots-level People Council’s elections, the NA session is set to spend seven days deciding on key personnel in the State apparatus, said Vu Minh Tuan, vice chairman of the NA Office.

NA deputies are scheduled to elect a new Chairperson of the legislative body on March 31, a new State President on April 2 and a new Prime Minister on April 5.

The new State, Government and National Assembly will be sworn in shortly after they are elected.

The NA will dismiss the incumbent State President, Prime Minister and Chairperson of the NA before the voting, VOV reported.

14th NA’s last session significant to transition in State agencies: top legislator

The 11th meeting of the 14th National Assembly, which began in Hanoi on March 24 morning, will contribute to the end-of-tenure transition in agencies in the State apparatus, NA Chairman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said in her opening remarks, VOV reported.

She said the meeting, also the last sitting of the 14th legislature, takes place at a time when the country is making efforts to realise the Resolution adopted by the 13th National Party Congress and prepare for the elections of deputies to the 15th legislature and all-level People’s Councils for 2021-2026.

Over the past nearly five years, the legislature has worked together with the President, the Government, and relevant agencies and organisations to complete assigned tasks, Ngan said.

Thanks to the joint efforts, major, significant achievements have been recorded, thus enhancing the country’s position and prestige, and consolidating the public’s trust in the Party and the State, she said.

According to the top legislator, during the meeting, the deputies will review the operation of the 14th NA, and look at working reports of the President, the Government, the NA Standing Committee, the Council for Ethnic Affairs and committees of the legislature, the Supreme People’s Court, the Supreme People’s Procuracy and the State Audit of Vietnam during 2016-2021.

Based on the reports, the NA will consider and vote on a resolution assessing the performance of agencies in the State apparatus in the tenure.

The NA will also consider and decide the dismissal, election and approval of the appointment of senior positions in the State apparatus in order to quickly meet requirements in the implementation of the Resolution adopted by the 13th National Party Congress, and to complete personnel work for the National Election Council to continue directing election work.

Congratulations on 50 years of Vietnam – Chile diplomacy

Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong and Chilean President Sebastián Piñera Echenique exchanged congratulatory messages on March 24 in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The same day, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh also exchanged congratulations with Chilean Foreign Minister Andrés Allamand Zavala.

In an interview granted to Vietnam News Agency, Charge d’affaires a.i. Gonzalo Guaiquil at the Chilean Embassy said Vietnam and Chile have nurtured and preserved their sound cooperative relations and traditional friendship as well as comprehensive development partnership over the past five decades.

Chile is the fourth largest trade partner of Vietnam in Latin America, with two-way trade exceeding US$1 billion benchmark in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic, up over 1% year-on-year.

Chile was among one of the very first nations to recognise Vietnam's market economy. Both sides signed the FTA on the sidelines of the APEC Summit in Hawaii, the US, in November 2011, according to VOV.

US helps prevent and respond to emerging and pandemic infectious diseases

The Partnership Framework of Viet Nam One Health Partnership for Zoonoses was signed in Ha Noi on March 23, signaling the continued support for Viet Nam to prevent, detect, and respond to emerging and pandemic infectious diseases.

UN Resident Coordinator in Viet Nam Kamal Maholtra co-chaired the signing ceremony with Deputy Ministers of Agriculture and Rural Development, Health and Natural Resources and Environment.

Scientific research showed that approximately 60% of human diseases and 70% of human infectious diseases arising from zoonotic diseases originate from animals. The application of a One Health approach recognizes that the health of humans, the health of animals and the environmental health of ecosystems that are inextricably linked.

Participants at the signing ceremony of the Partnership Framework of Viet Nam One Health Partnership, in Ha Noi, March 23, 2021 - Photo: USAID

In Viet Nam, the Partnership aims to establish a sustainable and stable forum for policy dialogue, inter-sectoral and multi-disciplinary cooperation between the Government agencies and civil society partners in order to strengthen the protection and improvement of human, animal and wildlife health.

Meanwhile, it provides recommendations to decision makers on One Health policy, strategy and research projects in Viet Nam, strengthening institutional capacity for implementation of One Health in public health protection, as well as participate in policy advocacy activities.

Its objectives are to provide a framework for wide and timely information sharing and communication within national and international partners on One Health related issues as well as intensify community education, also facilitate engagement of community in One Health strategy planning and implementation, according to VGP.

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