The conference, presided over by Secretary Pham Quang Nghi, aimed to discuss the draft political report for the its coming 15^th Congress, the report on Party Building in 2009, and further orientations for 2010.

Addressing the event, Mr Nghi highlighted the importance of the draft report, which required discussions to consider evaluation reports from the city’s districts more than a year after the city was enlarged under a National Assembly resolution.

Regarding the party building work, he said attention should be paid to forecasting and orienting the public opinions and to the campaign of learning and following the ethic example of late President Ho Chi Minh. Mr Nghi also stressed the need to develop party organizations in rural areas and the private business sector.

The first draft of the political report says that the congress will build on the one-millennium tradition of Thang Long-Hanoi, review the implementation of the 14^th Congress resolution and set socio-economic targets for the city’s development in the 2010-2015 period.

The Secretary of the Phu Xuyen Party Committee, Truong The Cau, said the city should build more hospitals and schools on the outskirts with a view to relocating more of the population to these areas to reduce crowding in the inner city. This idea was shared by his counterpart from Me Linh district, who added this plan needed specific mechanisms and guidelines to be successful.