On the afternoon of November 29, 2024, at the headquarters of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Vice Minister Vu Chien Thang met and worked with Mr. Manfred Pentz, Minister of Federal and European Affairs in the Hessen State Government, Federal Republic of Germany, to discuss topics related to the functions and duties of the Ministry of Home Affairs of Vietnam.
Attending the meeting between Vice Minister Vu Chien Thang and Minister Manfred Pentz were representatives from the Department of International Cooperation, the Department of Civil Servants and Public Employees, the Ministry Inspectorate, and the Office of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Vice Minister Vu Chien Thang welcomes Mr. Manfred Pentz, Minister of Federal and European Affairs of the Hessen State Government, Federal Republic of Germany.
Speaking at the meeting, on behalf of the leadership of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Vice Minister Vu Chien Thang expressed his pleasure in welcoming the delegation visiting and working at the Ministry of Home Affairs of Vietnam. The Deputy Minister provided an overview of the Ministry’s primary functions and responsibilities as assigned by the Government. He also shared key information on areas of interest to Mr. Manfred Pentz, particularly Vietnam’s experiences in combating bureaucracy and wastefulness, as well as the ongoing efforts to streamline the state administrative apparatus at both the central and local levels.
Vice Minister Vu Chien Thang emphasized that Vietnam is about to enter a new era—the Era of National Ascendance. This era signifies development, prosperity, and wealth under the leadership of the Communist Party, successfully building a socialist Vietnam characterized by wealth, strength, democracy, justice, and civility. Every citizen will enjoy a prosperous and happy life, supported in their efforts to grow and prosper, contributing increasingly to peace, stability, and development in the region and the world, as well as to the happiness of humanity and global progress.
The ultimate goal of this era is a nation that is wealthy, strong, democratic, just, and civilized, developing under the socialist system and standing shoulder to shoulder with global powers. The foundation for this vision is the monumental achievements of 40 years of renewal (Đổi mới) under the Party’s leadership, which have enabled Vietnam to amass sufficient momentum and capacity for a breakthrough in the next phase of development.
In outlining strategic directions for ushering Vietnam into this era of ascendance, General Secretary Tô Lâm highlighted the need to reform the Party’s leadership methods and streamline the organizational apparatus under the motto “The Central Government leads by example – Local Governments respond.” This requires reorganizing the apparatus and ensuring that the cadre is “streamlined, efficient, strong, effective, impactful, and productive.” The new structure must be superior to the old one and operational immediately, with no disruption, no gaps in time, no neglected territories or sectors, and no negative impact on the normal activities of society or the people.
Organizations must develop tools to clearly distinguish individuals who dare to think, act, and innovate for the common good from those who are reckless, unrealistic, or impractical. Mechanisms should be in place to provide early protection for plans with potential risks or errors from the proposal stage. Simultaneously, individuals lacking the necessary qualities, competence, or credibility should be removed from their positions. Emphasis should be placed on training, fostering, and testing those included in leadership planning, particularly those slated for key positions in Party committees and executive boards. These individuals must demonstrate leadership abilities, courage to innovate, responsibility, and determination to bring the Party’s resolutions into practical reality across various domains.
Efforts to combat corruption must continue vigorously, along with building a culture of thrift and anti-wastefulness. Practicing thrift and combating waste must become “natural,” “voluntary,” and as essential as “daily meals and clothing.”
To achieve these objectives, Vice Minister Vu Chien Thang stated that Vietnam recognizes the need for immense determination across the entire political system and sacrifices from every cadre, Party member, civil servant, and public employee for the common cause of advancing the nation into this Era of Ascendance. Additionally, Vietnam will require the support, exchange of ideas, and shared experiences of the international community throughout this process.
Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Manfred Pentz, Minister of Federal and European Affairs in the Hessen State Government, expressed his gratitude for the warm reception by Vietnam’s Ministry of Home Affairs. He highly appreciated the comprehensive and insightful details shared by Vice Minister Vu Chien Thang regarding the process and orientation for restructuring the administrative apparatus from central to local levels, as well as Vietnam’s efforts in combating corruption, bureaucracy, and wastefulness, and its ongoing administrative reforms.
Minister Manfred Pentz proposed that the two agencies establish a formal relationship and maintain regular exchanges. He also agreed that both sides would share specific information through their respective international cooperation units to develop the content for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This initiative, suggested by Vice Minister Vu Chien Thang, aims to foster substantive cooperation between the two agencies, with the MoU serving as the foundation for future exchanges, delegation visits, and mutual learning activities. Minister Manfred Pentz also extended an invitation to the leadership of Vietnam’s Ministry of Home Affairs to visit Hessen at an appropriate time.
