At the Presidential Palace, Party general secretary Nong Duc Manh, on behalf of the Party and the State, extended greetings on the occasion of the traditional Lunar New Year festival to revolutionary veterans, soldiers, Vietnamese people living at home and abroad, and wished them good health and happiness.

The Party leader stressed that due to the great efforts of the Party and whole society, the country overcame many difficulties and challenges in 2006 to make great achievements. 2007 will pose more opportunities and challenges, requiring clear and strong leadership from the Party so as to fulfil socio-economic development tasks for 2007 as well as the five-year socio-economic tasks in the 2006-2010 period.

The Party general secretary expressed sincere thanks to friends and people around the world for their support and help for Vietnam’s national construction. He called for the Party, people, soldiers, officials and Vietnamese people living abroad to unite, build and develop the country so as to bring Vietnam out of the underdeveloped status and turn the country into a modernised and industrialised nation by 2020.