Youth’s role crucial to national development National Assembly (NA) Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung has praised the youth’s key role in national development, stating young people have become a decisive factor in realising national future plans. He made the affirmation at the ninth National Congress of the Vietnam Students’ Association (the 2013-2018 term), which opened in Hanoi on December 29 with the participation of 650 delegates representing more than 2 million students from across the country. The NA leader spoke highly of the outstanding achievements recorded in students’ movements in recent years. He confirmed the Party and State’s belief in talented students, saying they will continue to obtain excellent academic results, upholding revolutionary achievements, and making greater contributions to national construction and defence. He called on students to overcome difficulties, protect their legitimate rights, and actively take part in party building work. The top legislator attached importance to educating and assisting students, promoting emulation movements, and renewing the operation of the Vietnam Students’ Association (VSA). First Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee, Nguyen Dac Vinh, noted that the Party, State, agencies, and localities acknowledge students’ achievements and contributions while calling them to broaden their political knowledge and ideological education. Secretary of the Youth Union Central Committee Le Quoc Phong, who is VSA Vice Chairman, underlined the need to reinforce solidarity among students for a prosperous nation, and democratic, equal, and civilized society. He also appreciated the impressive results of various student movements, and pointed out weaknesses in education and training services, and student support in preventing social evils. The congress adopted numerous documents outlining the association’s tasks for the new tenure and elected a 99-member executive board.  Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Le Quoc Phong was elected as the President of the association for the 2013-2018 tenure.  As a socio-political organisation with 22 chapters in cities and provinces nationwide, the VSA groups 47 centrally-run school-level chapters, and five abroad in France, the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium. VOV