Among those present at the meeting were former Party General Secretaries Le Kha Phieu and Nong Duc Manh, State President Truong Tan Sang, former State President Tran Duc Luong, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, National Assembly (NA) Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung along with other senior leaders and representatives from centrally-run ministries and sectors.

In his speech, Mr Trong highlighted Vietnam’s socio-economic achievements in the past year owing to the clear-sighted leadership of the Party and great support and assistance from the international community.

Regarding the situation in 2012, Mr Trong said the country will be confronted with difficulties and challenges, especially in the fields of economics and finance.

Top priority will be given to controlling inflation, stabilizing the macroeconomy, ensuring social welfare, maintaining a reasonable economic growth rate, promoting Party building and rectification along with the “Studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s moral example” campaign, and improving the efficiency of foreign affairs activities for the cause of national construction and defence.

The Party chief extended his best New Year wishes to all State and Party leaders, revolutionary war veterans, heroic mothers, compatriots, soldiers and overseas Vietnamese that they will join efforts to fulfill all the tasks set for 2012.

The same day, Party leader Trong offered incense to the late President Ho Chi Minh at his Relics Site in inside the Presidential Palace.

Mr Trong expressed his deep gratitude to President Ho Chi Minh for his great contributions to the cause of national liberation and construction.

According to the Director of the Relics Site, Bui Kim Hong, the number of Vietnamese and foreign visitors rose to 2.3 million in 2011.