On behalf of the Party and State, he first extended warm and heartfelt greetings to fellow leaders, heroic Vietnamese mothers, heroes and martyrs, the armed forces, war veterans, people of the whole country, and overseas Vietnamese attending the special occasion. He also expressed profound gratitude to President Ho Chi Minh - the great leader who laid the foundation for the revolutionary cause, and reaffirmed unwavering faith in the ultimate reunification of the nation.

He took this occasion honoured the contributions of generations of revolutionaries, war invalids and martyrs, and families with meritorious services to the country, while expressing deep appreciation for the sincere support from international friends in Vietnam’s national liberation struggle.

In the speech, he noted, immediately following the August 1945 Revolution, the Vietnamese people entered two prolonged resistance wars against French colonialists and American imperialists to defend national independence and unification.

During the resistance war against the US for national salvation, under the clear-sighted leadership of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh, entire Vietnamese people and army displayed great patriotism and resilience, combined national strength with global support, and leveraged the solidarity of socialist countries and progressive international friends.

The pinnacle was the historic Ho Chi Minh Campaign, which completely liberated the South and unified the country, affirming the truth “Vietnam is one nation, the Vietnamese people are one.”

According to the Party leader, the Spring 1975 victory has left behind many valuable lessons for the Vietnamese revolution. These lessons are (i) promoting the strength of the people and the great national unity bloc, tied to the strength of the era; (ii) upholding the spirit of patriotism, national pride, independence, self-reliance, and unwavering determination across the entire Party, people, and army; (iii) maintaining steadfast commitment to national independence in association with socialism, with a revolutionary path suited to Vietnam’s realities.

Other lessons include stimulating the creativity in revolutionary struggle methods, unique military strategies, and skillful combination of military, political, and diplomatic efforts; proactively and flexibly seizing opportunities; showing a deep sense of national reconciliation and humanity, by breaking with the past and looking toward the future; and upholding the absolute leadership role of the Party, with a strong, comprehensive Party as the key to victory.

Building upon the hard-won lessons of the resistance war against American imperialism under the leadership of the Party, the Party leader stressed, the entire population and armed forces have united to rebuild and develop the country according to President Ho Chi Minh’s vision.

After 50 years of reunification and nearly 40 years of Đổi Mới (Renovation), he said, Vietnam has risen from a war-torn, impoverished nation to a resilient, thriving country, safeguarding independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity; and achieving significant progress in economy, politics, defence, security, and diplomacy.

Grand celebration marking 50 years of Vietnam’s national reunification

VOV.VN - The Party Central Committee, the National Assembly, the President, the Government, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and Ho Chi Minh City authorities solemnly held a grand anniversary marking the 50th anniversary of southern liberation and national reunification in Ho Chi Minh City on April 30.

Vietnam has ranked 32nd globally in economic scale, and among the top 20 countries in trade and FDI attraction (statistics in 2024). The poverty rate has dropped to 1.93%, and the people's living standards have improved remarkably. The country’s international status continues to rise, maintaining diplomatic ties with 194 countries and comprehensive strategic partnerships with major powers, including the United States.

As the country is entering a new development phase, he said, it faces a historic opportunity to realise the aspiration of “standing shoulder to shoulder with the great powers of the five continents.” As envisioned by President Ho Chi Minh.

To do this, the Party leader, affirmed, Vietnam must unlock productivity, mobilise all resources, and drive fast and sustainable economic growth. The goal is to achieve 8% growth by 2025, double-digit growth from 2026 to 2030, and become a modern industrialised country with high middle income by 2030, and a developed, high-income economy by 2045 under the socialist orientation.

Key priorities include institutional reform, growth model transformation, along with leveraging science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation as the primary drivers, while recognising the private sector as one of the most crucial engines of growth.

The Party leader emphasised that the Party consistently puts the people at the centre, focusing on their material and spiritual well-being, especially in remote, border, and island regions. It promotes social welfare, policies for those with meritorious service, eliminates substandard housing, and develops social housing, health care, and education, aiming to eventually eliminate hospital and school fees at the basic level.

According to the top leader, the Party vows to foster great national unity and reconciliation, embrace differences, and look forward to a peaceful, unified, prosperous, and happy Vietnam. Vietnam aspires to work with the international community to build a world of peace, prosperity, and solidarity, and continues to expand friendship and cooperation, attracting overseas intellectuals and global friends to contribute to national development.

In a complex global environment, he said, it is necessary to modernise national defence and security, build a strong “all-people defence posture,” and protect the country early and from afar. The army and police must be elite, modern forces, and serve as reliable pillars for the Party, the State, and the people.

Proud of our glorious Party and the nation's heroic victories, we will continue to build a clean, strong, and innovative Party, streamline the apparatus, control power, and fight corruption and waste. We aim to build a contingent of officials with integrity and capability worthy of the people’s trust.

Carrying forward the spirit of the Spring 1975 victory and 40 years of Renovation, the entire Party, people, and army will continue to strive to successfully achieve national development goals, he concluded.