Triet, who is also a Party Politburo member, expressed his thanks to friends worldwide for their assistance to the Vietnamese people in the past struggle for national liberation and national reunification and the current national construction and development.

"The April 30, 1975 victory was a victory not only for the Vietnamese people but for peace and justice-loving people all over the world," stressed the municipal Party leader.

Answering foreign reporters' queries on socio-economic and political issues in HCM City and Viet Nam over the past 30 years, Triet spoke highly of the sacrifices and contributions made by people in the North to the struggle for the liberation of the South.

Regarding the relationship between Viet Nam and the US, he said that the Vietnamese people want to look towards the future and boost multi-faceted cooperation with the US. Recently, many US diplomatic and ex-servicemen delegations have been warmly welcomed during their Viet Nam visits, he added.

The municipal party leader talked about the role of the overseas Vietnamese community in the national development, saying that the Party and State have always considered overseas Vietnamese an integral part of the nation and that the Government will create every favourable condition for them to visit as well as invest in the homeland.

Replying to the New York Times's question about the Party and State's support policies for central highlanders, Triet affirmed that the Party and the State have adopted many special policies on economy, education, healthcare and culture to help the Central Highlands narrow the development gap with other regions in the country.

Over the past 30 years, the living conditions of the ethnic minority people in the Central Highlands have been improved remarkably, the municipal party leader noted. He said that all children of school age attend school. Local people have been helped to develop family-based production. In addition to the establishment of the Central Highlands University to help ethnic students study, thousands of ethnic students from the Central Highlands have been assisted to study in universities and colleges in Ho Chi Minh City.

During the meeting, the municipal party leader answered questions regarding Viet Nam's ties and cooperation with Asian countries, Ho Chi Minh City's preparation for the country's admission to the World Trade Organisation, and the city's endeavours to raise businessmen's competitiveness in their bid for international economic integration.

Other issues were also raised for HCM City's party leader concerning policies for the private economic sector and foreign investors, the Party's viewpoint on its members doing business, activities by the Party, the State, and authorities at all levels to assist Agent Orange victims and localities' preparations for the party congresses.