Vietnam names top Party personnel official its new prime minister

Chinh succeeds Nguyen Xuan Phuc as the PM, after the latter was appointed the new state president Monday morning.

Chinh is the first head of the Central Organizing Commission, an advisory body to the party with the main responsibility of nominating and approving the appointment of officials throughout the country, to be appointed prime minister and the ninth person to take the position since 1945.

"I, as the prime minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, swear absolute loyalty to my country, my people and the Constitution, while striving to complete the missions entrusted to me by the Party, the government and the people," Chinh said in his oath-taking ceremony.

He said he would effectively mobilize all resources to develop the country, continue the pandemic fight while boosting strategic infrastructure development and focusing on the digital economy.

The government would create policies and frameworks to develop the Vietnamese culture and people, making them important factors in socio-economic development, while devising methods to improve the country's medical and education system, he added.

Chinh, 63, who has a doctorate degree in law, has been an associate law professor and is a qualified construction engineer. He has been a member of the Politburo, the Central Party Committee, and the National Assembly.

In 2010, he was appointed Deputy Minister of Public Security, and a year later, Party chief of the northern Quang Ninh Province.

In 2015, he became the deputy head of the Central Organizing Commission, and its head in 2016.

Vietnam has a "four pillar" leadership structure: the Party general secretary, the state president, the prime minister and the chairperson of the National Assembly.

Nguyen Phu Trong continues in his position as Party general secretary, and former Minister of Finance and Deputy PM Vuong Dinh Hue is the National Assembly chairman.