Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh urged the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) to become a powerful economic group in the region and take the lead in national industrialisation and modernisation.

The Party leader made the request while attending PetroVietnam’s first party congress for the 2010-2015 term in Hanoi on July 23.

PetroVietnam’s brand name and image have been constantly growing both in and outside of the country, underlining its leading role in stabilising the macro-economy, ensuring energy security and protecting the nation’s sovereignty at sea, said Manh.

He added that the group’s achievements are of great significance in terms of politics, the economy, society, security and national defence, reflecting the Party and State’s directions and guidelines for the development of the oil and gas industry.

Manh asked the group to work harder to achieve sustainable development, increase its competitiveness and ensure the country’s energy security along with protecting the environment and maintaining national security.

To reach these targets, PetroVietnam needs to pay more attention to developing its human resources, step up the application of scientific and technological advances and improve the capacity of its managers at all levels, he said.

At the two-day congress, the group set a goal of reaching an annual growth rate of 18-22 percent in the near future and expand its operations into other fields while keeping its main focus on oil and gas exploration and production and refining./.