General Secretary Trong thanked the UH and considered this as a clear demonstration of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC) and the Cuba State and people’s friendship towards Vietnam. He also appreciated the UH’s training of generations of Vietnamese students, many of whom have become leaders or prominent experts in different fields in Vietnam.
He then delivered a speech at the UH, focusing on the promotion of sustainable development and social equality as seen from Vietnam’s reforms.
The event, broadcast live on the national radio and television channels of Cuba, was also attended by Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez, Politburo member and First Vice President of the Councils of State and Ministers of Cuba, along with many leaders of Cuban ministries and sectors.
Addressing UH lecturers, students, and Cuban officials, the CPC leader, who is on a State visit to the Latin American nation, talked about Vietnam’s efforts to settle issues relating to sustainable development and social equality, noting a harmonious solution to the relationship between sustainable development and social equality reflects the pre-eminence and humanism of socialism that Vietnam and Cuba are building.
He stressed the CPV’s consistent viewpoint of putting humanism at the centre of the development strategy, seeing humanism as both the target and the driving force of development.
Vietnam targets rapid and sustainable development as well as a harmonious combination of economic growth and social progress and equality, which matches the regional and global agenda, including the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
In Vietnam, the Doi moi (Renewal) process over the last three decades is an intensive and comprehensive transformation process to achieve the target of a prosperous people, strong country, and a democratic, equitable, and civilised society, he said.
Vietnam’s economy has achieved and maintained a burgeoning rate of growth for a relatively long period. Poverty reduction and social welfare policies have been implemented effectively. The rate of low-income earners dropped from 58% in the early 1990s to under 10% in 2010, which means that in just two decades about 30 million Vietnamese people have escaped from poverty.
With correct and effective policies, the country has curbed the increase of inequality that has often occurred during the shift to a market economy in countries with the same development level, General Secretary Trong noted.
He emphasised that the market economy itself does not lead to socialism, but to successfully build socialism, it is necessary to develop a market economy in an appropriate manner.
It is a fact that the more reforms are made, the more challenges and difficulties occur alongside new opportunities, he said, adding that the Fourth Industrial Revolution is creating many problems in terms of the growth model, as the competitive edge belongs to the sectors based on knowledge and high technology, and the most important development factor is still human resources.
Meanwhile, shortcomings that have existed in the economy for a long time and many social aspects in Vietnam cannot be addressed overnight, requiring the country to adopt synchronous solutions, a suitable roadmap, and resolute and persistent directions, based on firm scientific grounds, he added.
The visiting leader said the reforms in Vietnam and the economic model update in Cuba cannot be achieved in one fell swoop, noting the need for countries to be patient and learn lessons from the implementation of the reforms and update.
In his speech, he expressed his belief that with the visionary leadership of the PCC, the Cuban Government’s drastic actions, and people’s support, the country will definitely obtain even greater achievements and successfully build socialism.
