PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc delivers opening speech at the 13th National Party Congress

The Presidium,

Distinguished guests,

The whole Congress,

Today, in the spring atmosphere, the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam solemnly opens in the capital city of Hanoi. Our Party is the vanguard of the working class, of the working people and of the Vietnamese people; each party member is a representative loyal to the interests of the working class, the working people and our nation.

On behalf of the Presidium of the Congress and the 12th Party Central Committee, I warmly welcome the 1,587 delegates, representing more than 5 million party members in the country. The delegates are elected elite party members, representing wisdom, belief, unity of will, action, determination, an aspiration to rise and belief in the solidarity and strength of the entire Party, people, and army.

In this solemn moment, with infinite gratitude, our Congress sincerely commemorates the great President Ho Chi Minh, the genius leader, the founder, leader and trainer of our Party, the hero of national liberation and the great man of culture, the eminent soldier of the liberation movement of colonised and oppressed peoples all over the world. Our Congress also commemorates and express deep gratitude to the former revolutionary generations, to comrades and fellow countrymen for their dedication and sacrifices for the revolutionary cause as well as the fight for national liberation, construction and defence.

The Congress warmly welcomes former leaders of the Party, State, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, revolutionary veterans, former members of the Party Central Committee from the third to seventh tenures, Vietnamese Heroic Mothers, scholars, intellectuals, artists, religious dignitaries and representatives of the young generation. We warmly welcome ambassadors, Chargé d'Affaires, and chief representatives of international organisations in Vietnam to this solemn opening session.

The Congress warmly welcomes, highly appreciates and respectfully praises the ceaseless efforts and determination to overcome difficulties and challenges, and the will and aspiration of the entire Party, people and army. Patriotic emulation movements of the people, agencies branches, localities, and units at all levels have made numerous outstanding achievements in order to welcome the 13th National Party Congress and contributed to the successful implementation of objectives and tasks for 2020 and the five-year plan for the 2016-2020 period, making important and direct contributions to the success of the Congress.

The Congress respectfully and warmly welcomes and sincerely thanks the enthusiastic participation, responsibility and valuable contributions of all party committees, party organisations, cadres, party members and deputies of the National Assembly, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, socio-political organisations, people's unions, revolutionary veterans, scholars, intellectuals, people from all walks of life, soldiers nationwide, and overseas Vietnamese for the work of preparing and drafting the documents to help the Congress truly crystallise the wisdom, voice and belief of our entire people.

Comrades,

The 13th National Party Congress is taking place in a context where the country is facing both challenges and opportunities, with new strategic issues needing to be resolved, from complicated developments in the regional and international situations to global challenges on climate change, natural disasters and diseases, as well as spectacular achievements in science and technology, which have had a strong impact on the socio-economic life of the country and the world in general.

Cadres, Party members and people are placing high hope and expectations on the sound and strong decisions of the Party in order to uphold all available resources, promote the strength of the great national unity bloc in combination with the power of the era, accelerate the building of a law-governed socialist state, enhance the fight against corruption and wastefulness, and facilitate the country's rapid and sustainable development, for the goal of wealthy people, and a strong, democratic, equal and civilised nation.

The congress is held at a time when the entire Party, people and army have successfully implemented many guidelines, targets and tasks set out in the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress, achieving significant and comprehensive results which have contributed to great and historic achievements during the 35 years of Doi Moi (Renewal), the 30 years of the 1991 Political Platform, the 10 years of the 2011 Platform, and the implementation of the 2011-2020 Socio-economic Development Strategy.

We also frankly acknowledge our shortcomings and weaknesses which need to be addressed in the next five years to realise the aspiration of a powerful and prosperous Vietnam by 2045.

In this context, the 13th National Party Congress takes historic responsibility for the fatherland and its people, not only in the 2021-2025 period but also in the upcoming decades, as well as for the country's future generations.

In the spirit of looking straight at the truth and speaking the truth, renewing, integrating and developing, promoting the tradition of solidarity, consensus and absolute trust in Marxism-Leninism, President Ho Chi Minh's thought and revolutionary path that the Party and beloved Uncle Ho have chosen, the congress is tasked with reviewing the implementation of the Resolution of the 12th National Party Congress, the 35 years of the Doi Moi (Renewal) process, the 30 years of the 1991 Political Platform, the 10 years of the amended Political Platform (supplemented and developed in 2011), and the implementation of the 2011-2020 socio-economic development strategy while setting out socio-economic development orientations and tasks for 2021-2025 as well as targets and directions until 2030 with a vision to 2045.

The congress will also review Party building work and the leadership of the 12th Party Central Committee, set orientations and tasks for Party building in the new tenure, evaluate the implementation of the Party's Charter, and elect a new Party Central Committee for the 13th tenure, who are outstanding in political virtue, revolutionary ethics, and leadership capacity and are brave and intelligent enough to meet the increasingly difficult requirements of the revolutionary cause, leading the country to implement great, challenging but glorious tasks as entrusted by the Party, State and people in the coming years.

Comrades,

Following the motto "Solidarity - Democracy - Discipline - Creativity - Development," the 13th National Party Congress reflects the firm, unyielding will and determination of the whole nation to advance forward, for the goal of a wealthy people, and a strong, democratic, equal and civilised nation.

With a sound direction, strong aspiration for development and high political determination, the entire Party, people and army will certainly establish new development achievements towards a prosperous and happy Vietnam which can stand abreast with powerful countries worldwide as wished by President Ho Chi Minh and our entire nation.

On behalf of the Presidium, I announce the opening of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

Wishing all comrades and delegates health and happiness.

Wishing the congress be a success.

(Source: VNA)