PM asks Hanoi to put people’s health first and foremost
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed on July 19 that the top priority of Hanoi at present is to continue preventing and controlling the COVID-19 pandemic with the spirit of “fighting the pandemic like fighting the enemy”, putting the protection of people’s health first and foremost, and maintaining production in safe places.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (C) speaks at the meeting with Hanoi's leaders (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) - Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed on July 19 thatthe top priority of Hanoi at present is to continue preventing and controllingthe COVID-19 pandemic with the spirit of “fighting the pandemic like fightingthe enemy”, putting the protection of people’s health first and foremost, andmaintaining production in safe places.
Chinh had a working session with the capital city’s leadingofficials to keep updated on the capital's COVID-19 situation, socio-economic development, defence andsecurity in the first half of 2021 and development orientations for the secondhalf as well as the following years.
Speaking highly of the city’s achievements duringJanuary-June, the Government leader asked Hanoi to take more drastic andeffective measures to prevent the coronavirus from spreading out.
According to him, the municipal authorities should take anew approach to the fight, and prepare prevention and control scenarios for more serious situations.
He requested Hanoi to effectively implement the Resolutionof the 13th National Party Congress and the Resolution of the 17th municipal Party Congress, attach importance to building a transparent andstrong Party, and pay more attention to cultural development to deserve its millennium history and the title of A city for peace as well as its position as the country’s political, socio-economic, defence,security and diplomatic centre.
The Government leader also asked ministries and sectors tocoordinate with the municipal authorities to review and perfect institutions,remove obstacles to facilitate development; maximize resources for investmentin development, especially the public-private partnership in COVID-19prevention and control as well as socio-economic development.
Speaking at the meeting, Chairman of the municipal People’sCommittee Chu Ngoc Anh said that the pandemic situation in the city is stillunder control, but high risks remain.
The city is implementing urgent and drastic measures to combat thepandemic, he stressed.
In the first six months of 2021, the capital’s economicgrowth reached 5.91 percent, higher than the 2.92 percent of the same periodlast year.
Hanoi is working hard to maintain production and businesschains and has built two economic development scenarios in 2021, with growthrates of 7.5 percent and 6.5-7 percent./.
The Ministry of Health recently sent a dispatch to its hospitals, health departments of centrally-run cities and provinces, and hospitals under universities urging them to strengthen health check-up and treatment system to ensure emergency aid and treatment for COVID-19 patients.
The newly-set up resuscitation centre in Ho Chi Minh City, the current largest COVID-19 hotspot of Vietnam, has played an important role in providing treatment for severe cases which are on the increase.
The southern province of Binh Duong on July 18 put a 1,500-bed temporary hospital into operation as part of its efforts to cope with to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The outcomes of Party General Secretary To Lam's visit will serve as a driving force and source of inspiration for the two countries to inherit, promote, and elevate their Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, contributing to the national construction and development cause in each country, and to peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 9 inspected the construction site of the new Phong Chau bridge, and surveyed a planned route for the Lao Cai – Hanoi – Hai Phong railway section running through the northern province of Phu Tho.
Across print, broadcast, and online platforms, Angolan media portrayed State President Luong Cuong's visit as a warm and historic occasion, strengthening bilateral ties and boosting Vietnam’s presence in Africa through the AU.
The 500kV Lao Cai – Vinh Yen power transmission line has a total investment of over 7.41 trillion VND (282.5 million USD), and a total length of 229.5 km, passing through 31 communes in the two provinces, and comprising 468 transmission tower foundations.
The visits reflected the elevated position of Vietnam’s foreign policy in the new era—aimed at not only advancing ties with key regional partners like Egypt and Angola but also delivering a strategic message about Vietnam’s commitment to deepening relations with African nations as a whole.
At their talks and meetings, President Cuong and Angola’s top leaders affirmed that the close brotherhood and traditional friendship are a valuable shared asset and a solid foundation for the two nations to advance into a new phase of development.
The ruling People’s Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) attaches great importance to the friendship, solidarity, and comradeship with the Communist Party of Vietnam, and voiced her Party’s wish to further deepen and expand relations between the two sides for the benefit of the Vietnamese and Angolan people.
Vietnam pledges to do its utmost to build an ASEAN of solidarity, consensus, and unity in diversity, and to foster a fast and sustainable development path for ASEAN, grounded in science, technology, and innovation, said Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Party General Secretary To Lam called on the criminal police force to accelerate the application of science, technology, artificial intelligence, and digital transformation in criminal investigation tasks such as crime prevention, detection, tracking and verification, ensuring that no area remains out of their reach.
Many Koreans living, studying, and working in Hanoi see the upcoming state visit to the Republic of Korea (RoK) by Party General Secretary To Lam as an opportunity to generate strong synergy in economic cooperation, people-to-people exchanges, and cultural understanding.
The achievements of the five decades of Vietnam–Angola cooperation provide a strong and enduring foundation, as well as momentum for the two sides to consolidate, expand, and bring their partnership into a new phase of development.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stressed that the emulation and commendation work is a vital driver, fostering patriotism, dedication, and collective momentum in the run-up to the 11th National Patriotic Emulation Congress, Party congresses at all levels, and the 14th National Party Congress.
Emphasising the need for sustainable, long-term collaboration, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man called on Japanese investors not only to bring in capital but also to share expertise and modern technology, especially in areas such as green transformation, the circular economy, and advanced corporate governance.
President Luong Cuong's activities during his state visit to Angola, the celebration of the financial sector's 80th traditional day, and the Foreign Ministry's flag-hoisting ceremony marking the 58th founding anniversary of ASEAN are among news highlights on August 8.
Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung praised the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ meaningful initiative, noting that the ASEAN Family Run was not only a sporting activity but also an opportunity for diplomats and their families to show unity, connection, and solidarity within the ASEAN family.
Politburo member, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on August 8 attended the first congress of the Party Organisation of Tay Ho ward of Hanoi for the 2025–2030 term, during which he called for fresh momentum to turn the ward into a model that takes the lead in all fields.
The size of the economy increased from over 5 billion USD in 1986 to over 476 billion USD by 2024, making Vietnam the fourth-largest economy in Southeast Asia and the 34th largest in the world.
The ASEAN flag-hoisting ceremony is observed by the 10 ASEAN member countries on August 8 every year, aiming to spread and promote the ASEAN identity and affirm the determination to unite and cooperate for the common aspiration of long-term peace and prosperity of Southeast Asian countries under the common roof of the ASEAN Community.
Vice Chairman of the municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Manh Cuong highlighted ASEAN’s nearly six decades of development, during which the region transformed from division to harmony, from confrontation to cooperation, and from poverty to dynamic growth, becoming a global bright spot for regional cooperation.
Thirty years ago, on July 28, 1995, Vietnam’s accession to ASEAN marked a historic strategic decision, opening a new chapter in the country’s integration process and beginning its strong rise.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh (C) speaks at the meeting with Hanoi's leaders (Photo: VNA) 
