State President Nguyen Minh Triet has told the Republic of Korea KBS television he is proud that Viet Nam’s national unity is the key factor to its high economic growth.

KBS television is currently shooting a special programme on Viet Nam. The first part, to be aired in January, 2008, focuses on the Red River region’s outstanding achievements.

The President told the RoK television channel that Viet Nam has sustained a high economic growth for years as a result of 20 years of renewal that focused on shifting from a centrally-planned to a socialist-oriented market economy.

“It is thanks to great efforts made by the entire Party and people, including the overseas Vietnamese community,” the State leader said.

He pointed out the nation’s strong integration into the global economy as the second reason behind its success.

“Viet Nam’s policies have become increasingly suitable to the integration process and its laws have gradually been upgraded to its WTO commitments,” President Triet said.

He said the nation’s stable political environment is ideal for long-term investment and its skilled and industrious workforce offer additional advantages for foreign investors.

The State leader also said the country is working to surpass the “threshold of low-income developing countries” as early as 2008, thus laying the foundations for the nation to become an industrial economy by 2020.

“Viet Nam will further improve its investment climate while continuing with its global integration,” he said.

Integration will help Viet Nam attract more investment and advanced technology for comprehensive development, he explained.

The economy should be strongly geared to a socialist-oriented market basis so as to tap all available domestic and overseas resources to maintain the current growth, the State president said.

He also highlighted the country’s efforts to protect political stability and national security and its transparent investment climate as a comfort to foreign investors.

Discussing relations with the RoK, President Triet said he was satisfied with the recent bilateral ties, adding they are a key factors to boosting partnerships between economic groups and companies from the two countries.

“Viet Nam has learned much from the RoK experience in economic management, especially in the stage when the RoK took a huge leap forward,” he said.

The RoK now ranks first in foreign investment in Viet Nam and the two countries have set up comprehensive partnerships for the 21st century.

The State President pointed out the need to increase regular exchanges of high-level visits, economic groups, cultural, youth and women’s organisations.

He also spoke of Viet Nam’s desire for assistance from the RoK in human resources development, especially in tertiary education and vocational training, to meet market demands in a new stage of development. (VNA).