Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung attended the 56 th anniversary of liberation of the northern port city of Hai Phong on May 12, asking the city to promote its potential and strengths to serve the country’s industrialisation and modernisation.

The PM hailed efforts, contributions and achievements made by the Party and people of Hai Phong over the past 56 years of construction and development.

He said that while entering a new stage of development and amidst big advantages and challenges, the city should continue to combine efforts with the whole country to successfully implement goals set by the 11 th Party Congress, namely pushing up industrialisation and modernisation and fast and sustainable development, promoting the national strength and building Vietnam into a modern-oriented industrialised country by 2020.

The PM asked the city to promote both its potential and spearhead industries, such as mechanical manufacturing, ship building, support industry, seafood processing, production of equipment, electronics, cement, steel, fertiliser and high-quality consumer goods.

The city needs to develop a deep-water seaport system and transport infrastructure, warehouse and port services, maritime transport, sea-based economy, finance, banking, trade and high value added services, along with focusing on the development of agricultural and rural economic production, he said.

The city’s Party should concentrate on building a pure and strong Party and political system and unceasingly improve the Party’s leadership and combat capacity, considering it a key task and a decisive factor for the success of the city’s renovation and development, he added.

Over the past 56 years of construction and development, the Party, army and people of Hai Phong city promoted their tradition to overcome all challenges and difficulties and win great achievements in all stages of revolution, contributing to the national liberation, construction and defence.

Since the country’s reunification, Hai Phong has been a pioneer locality in production and development, actively implementing the Party’s doi moi (renewal) policy.

The city obtained comprehensive achievements, particularly in the recent five years, with economic growth seeing a rise 1.5 times higher than the country’s average.

Hai Phong registered a high GDP in 2010, up 1.7 times from 2005. Its economy was restructured, with the proportion of industry-construction and services up from 87 percent in 2005 to 90 percent in 2010. The achievements were also seen in the socio-economic infrastructure system, with modern urban areas as well as in the cultural sector and the improvement of people’s living conditions.

The city has affirmed its role as the main gateway to the sea for northern provinces and a focal point of growth for the northern key economic region./.