In all revolutionary stages, the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) has always played an important role in consolidating and upholding the strength of great national solidarity, said the Party leader.

Addressing the third Conference of the VFF Central Committee in Hanoi on Feb. 27, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said VFF has gathered and united people of different backgrounds, strata, ethnic groups, religions, as well as overseas Vietnamese.

Trong, who doubles as National Assembly Chairman, stressed that historical reality has proved solidarity is an extremely important factor that helps take the Vietnamese revolution from victory to victory to just as President Ho Chi Minh has said: “Solidarity, solidarity, great solidarity; success, success, great success.”

Based on the results of 20 years of implementing the Political programme for national construction during the period of transition to socialism, 25 years of carrying out the renewal process, 10 years of performing the 2001-10 socio-economic development strategy, the 11 th National Party Congress drew up five major lessons, in which it once again laid emphasis on the necessity to continue building the great national solidarity and enhancing unity and unanimity within the Party, solidarity inside the country, international solidarity and Vietnam’s willingness to be a friend and a reliable partner of all nations and international organisations for peace, cooperation and development, he stressed.

While praising the VFF’s huge contributions to the success of the 11 th National Party Congress, Trong expressed his hope that the VFF will continue to bring the Congress’s Resolution into life, and first taking part in organising the elections of the National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels for the 2011-2016 term.

This year marks the first time the elections of the National Assembly and People’s Councils will be held on the same day, requiring a high level of unanimity and a great determination in the entire society, the Party leader noted.

Trong went on to say that the Front represents the people’s aspirations and constitutes the political foundation of the Party and State, a bridge between the Party, State and people, a symbol of the great national solidarity, and a key force in patriotic emulation movements. Hence, it is essential to build the Front stronger, and renew the contents and methods of its operations so that it can catch up with the new requirements, with higher quality and efficiency, he added.

The Front should step up and improve the efficiency of coordination with other organs in the political system and increase people-to-people diplomacy, thereby contributing to the Party and State’s foreign affairs and serving the country’s national construction and defence, he said.

The conference decided that the VFF’s action plan to implement the 11 th National Party Congress’s Resolution will focus on disseminating the Resolution to people from all walks of life and affirming VFF’s very important role in enhancing great national solidarity as well as in national construction and defence./.