Ninth National Patriotic Emulation Congress opens in Hanoi

The congress brings together 1,800 exemplary individuals and representatives from outstanding units in patriotic emulation campaigns in all sectors and fields over the past five years since the previous congress. Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, head of the Central Council for Emulation and Reward, highlighted the congress as a significant political event of the whole Party, people and army to honour role models in the national patriotic emulation movements. He said the emulation campaigns have successfully exploited the concerted strength of the nation to realise the development targets on socio-economic and cultural affairs, the environment, defence-security, diplomacy, and international integration. Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan - First Vice Chair of the Central Council for Emulation and Rewards said positive changes in terms of both forms and content have been made to emulation campaigns with more focus on pragmatic goals, helping attracting wider response from Party organisations, authorities at all levels, and people of all walks of life. She reported that over the past five years, the Vietnamese Party and State presented 17 Gold Star Orders, 85 Ho Chi Minh Orders, 3,080 Independence Orders, 377 Military Exploit Orders, 31,119 Labour Orders, 169 Great National Unity Orders and 2,187 Friendship Orders and Medals. In addition, the title of Hero of Labour was conferred on 124 units and individuals and 81 were given the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces in the "Doi Moi" - reform period. The Party and State also granted 194 Ho Chi Minh Prizes and 215 State Prizes, along with many other prizes and titles to honour outstanding individuals in the national patriotic emulation campaigns, the Vice President noted. She urged that patriotic emulations should continue to be launched and improved in order to provide a real boost for national development.

(Source: VNA)