The ninth meeting of the Party Central Committee (11th tenure) wrapped up on May 14 in Hanoi, agreeing to issue a new resolution on the building and development of the Vietnamese culture and people to match the country’s sustainable development requirements.

Participants at the week-long meeting agreed that culture is an important internal source of strength for the country’s sustainable development.

After 15 years of implementing a resolution by the fifth meeting of the Party Central Committee (eighth tenure), the cultural sector has recorded strong progress. Cultural institutions have been formed and completed gradually, while people’s cultural life has become richer, they said.

However, they also pointed out that in comparison with achievements in other fields like politics, economics, defence, security and external relations, those of cultural sector remain modest.

Outlining future directions for the sector, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said it is necessary to inherit and further develop the Party’s viewpoints on culture enrichment mentioned in the 8th Party Central Committee’s fifth meeting resolution.

He stressed that culture is the spirit foundation of society as well as the goal, the driving force and an important internal source of strength for the sustainable development of the country, thus it should receive adequate attention on a par with economics, politics and society.

Economic growth should be accompanied by cultural development and social progress and equality, he said.

“The culture that we are building is a modern one with strong national identity, which unites the diverse cultures of Vietnam ’s ethnic groups, and bears the typical characters of nationality, humanity, democracy and science,” said the Party leader.

He stated that the process of building the Vietnamese culture is also the implementation of the country’s human strategy, aiming to develop high quality human resources.

The Party Central Committee also gave opinions on the drafting of important documents to be submitted to the 12 th Party Congress. They agreed on the drafts of a Political Report and a report on socio-economic orientations and missions for the 2016-2020 period.

General Secretary Trong laid emphasis on major issues that need to be clarified during the preparation of documents for the 12 th Party Congress. In terms of economics, the documents should provide a thorough insight of the implementation of the Party’s directions on sustainable socio-economic and environmental development as set by the Party’s 11th Congress.

They should clarify the adjustment of targets and policies to give priority to reining in inflation, stabilising macro-economy, maintaining a suitable growth rate, and ensuring social welfares, he said.

The change of growth model and economic restructuring, as well as the definition of new resources and driving forces for the country’s development also need to be addressed in details.

On the social area, along with issues on labour, job and spiritual and material life of the people and security, social order and safety, it is necessary to assess the changes in social structure and the rich and poor gap, awareness and settlement of social relationships and the control of risks and negative phenomena.

The implementation of social policies as well as social progress and equality is another issue of interest, Trong said.

Regarding denfence, security, external relations, the Party leader stressed that in the context of complicated and unpredictable developments in the world and the region, especially in the East Sea at present, special attention should be paid to the implementation of tasks ensuring national defence, security and external affairs.

The documents should clearly define advantages and challenges as well as policies and measures to maintain independence, sovereignty, national security, territorial integrity and environment of peace and stability for development, he added.

At the same time, deep analyses and assessment are needed for the Party and political system building work in order to work out specific solutions to enhance the pureness and strength of the Party and the political system, the Party leader said.

In conclusion, Trong said the entire Party and society are facing heavy tasks until the end of the 11 th Party tenure.

He called on the entire Party, people and army to be clear-sighted and strengthen solidarity to safeguard national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity while maintaining an environment of peace and stability for national construction and development.-VNA