Speaking at the congress, PM Phuc urged the association to continue its work in building up the Vietnamese intellectual circle in order to serve national development.

The Government leader spoke highly of VUSTA’s role in gathering and uniting Vietnamese scientists and technical experts at home and abroad, providing favourable conditions to make contributions to their homeland.

PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc with the delegates.

Intellectuals lay the foundation for social progress, and Vietnamese intellectuals play a crucial role in the country’s construction and development, the PM said, asking the union to strengthen its operations to become a strong political and social organisation, acting as the voice of scientists and technicians across the country, while caring for and protecting the legitimate rights and interests of its members.

The union was also assigned to serve as a consultant for the Party and State in gathering the brainpower of intellectuals, while contributing ideas to the Party and State’s policies and major socio-economic projects and programmes.

The congress saw the participation of over 900 delegates representing more than 3 million VUSTA members nationwide.

The participants reviewed the union’s operations in the 2015-2020 period and set out its orientations and tasks for the next five years.

Member of the Party Central Committee and Chairman of the National Assembly's Committee for Science, Technology and the Environment Phan Xuan Dung was elected as President of the union.

Credit growth forecast to hit 11% by year-end

The banking industry's credit is projected to have expanded 11 percent for the year by the end of December, Deputy Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) Dao Minh Tu revealed at a press conference on December 24.

New Year fireworks to light up Hanoi first time in years

Hanoi would set off fireworks on 2021 New Year, the first time it has done so since 2016 when the city decided to celebrate new year thriftily.

Source: Nhan Dan Online