Dear scientists, Vietnamese and international scholars,
Ladies and gentlemen attending the meeting.
First of all, on behalf of the Party, State and People of Vietnam, I would like to send to all of you my sincere greetings, sincere thanks and deep friendship. The large presence of Vietnamese and international scientists and scholars at the 7th International Conference on Vietnamese Studies, with the theme "Vietnam: sustainable development in the new era", shows a very important thing: Vietnam is not only a research subject, but has become an intellectual partner of Vietnamese scholars. We have held seminars about the country of the people of Vietnam 6 times and I think we will continue in the future because Vietnam is always one of your endless scientific inspirations.
Dear Vietnamese scholars, Dear Ladies and gentlemen,
Vietnam is not a country large in area and population compared to many world powers, but is a country with a history of formation, construction, protection and continuous national development for thousands of years. That history creates a very special identity. That is the unbeaten courage in the face of all invasion, in the face of storms and floods; the intelligence that knows how to adapt, learn, and combine traditional strength with new knowledge; the will that "nothing is more precious than independence and freedom"; the aspiration to build a just, humane, and humane society.
Through the dynasties of building and defending the country, the Vietnamese people have formed a long-standing culture, taking the people's heart as the root, taking humanistic morality as the foundation, taking the spirit of independence and self-reliance as the lifeongle. Speaking of Vietnam is talking about culture - a culture that is not only a spiritual and artistic heritage, but also an endogenous ability to last. Vietnamese culture is the crystallization of national identity and interacting with humanity; is the spiritual foundation of society, is a soft power, and the "development link" of the country.
Vietnamese culture is a culture that is always mobile, always innovative, always open to absorb the quintessence of the outside, while maintaining the core values within. It is that vitality that has helped our nation overcome war, reborn after devastation and enter a new period of development with an increasingly confident position.
Ladies and gentlemen,
A turning point in our nation's history is the birth of the Communist Party of Vietnam in 1930 . Since then, the past 95 years have been 95 years of fundamental changes in national fate. Under the leadership of the Party, the Vietnamese people gained independence, unified the country, ended the occupation of the capital and the prolonged and special war, and opened the way for development in the socialist orientation - the way to put people at the center of development.
We attach great importance to peace. I want to emphasize this strongly. Peace, independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity are the principles of permanent relocation. But Vietnam always persists in resolving all issues by peaceful means, on the basis of international law, mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit. We deeply understand that peace does not come naturally, but must go through struggle. Peace is only sustainable if it goes hand in hand with fair, inclusive and sustainable development.
Four decades ago, in 1986, we began the Doi Moi career. Innovation is not just about economic adjustment. Innovation is a strategic decision, a development choice based on innovation in thinking, institutional innovation, innovation in leadership methods, associated with openness, integration, proactive participation in the political, economic, and cultural life of the region and the world. Innovation has created a leap forward in development, bringing Vietnam from a poor country, heavily devastated by war, to a dynamic economy, deeply integrating, actively participating in regional and global value chains.
Today, Vietnam has had strategic partnerships and comprehensive partnerships with many countries; is an active and responsible member of the international community; participates in many new-generation free trade agreements; contributes to global issues such as food security, climate change, green transformation, digital transformation, and reducing development inequality. We participate in international integration with the motto of joining hands with the international community to build a world order based on law, fairness, inclusion, respect for the legitimate interests of every nation, no matter how big or small.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The theme of this workshop is: "Vietnam: sustainable development in the new era", raising the right vital question for us at this time: How to develop the country quickly while maintaining political and social stability; how to grow the economy without exchanging it for social justice; how to modernize the country without damaging the ecological environment and cultural and ethical values of the Vietnamese people, how to "intsitive without dissolving" into world politics, international economy and human civilization, so that the socialist country of Vietnam can stand shoulder to shoulder with the world powers.
For us, rapid and sustainable development is a unified entity. Growth is only meaningful if each citizen enjoys the fruits of development in a fair, safe and humane manner; the quality of real life of the people is improved; no one is left behind; the future of future generations is not traded off to meet the immediate benefits of today's generation. Therefore, we have a development policy based on three pillars closely linked together.
First, develop national institutions, policies and governance in the direction of strategic autonomy, modernity, transparency, integrity, efficiency and efficiency. Building a socialist rule of law state of the people, by the people, for the people, a state that both creates and develops, ensures social justice, and resolutely prevents and combates corruption, negativity, and group interests. This is our political focus.
Second, comprehensive development of Vietnamese people. Education, healthcare, science and technology, innovation, culture. These are considered core factors, a direct resource for development. I affirm that: Vietnam's most valuable resource is not minerals, not geographical - strategic locations, but rather the 106 million Vietnamese people today, who are diligent, creative, patriotic, community- conscious, eager to learn and know how to rise up in difficult circumstances. If we do not free up and maximize the intellectual strength, ethics, personality, and social responsibility of each Vietnamese person, we will find it difficult to achieve the set goals.
Third, developing a green economy, a circular economy, a knowledge economy, a digital economy, associated with science and technology and innovation, digital transformation. The path of sustainable development in the 21st century cannot only rely on exploitation of material resources, cheap labor or traditional advantages, but must rely on knowledge, technology, creativity and smart governance. Vietnam is very aware of its responsibility in the face of climate change challenges, rising sea levels, biodiversity degradation, and resource depletion. We identify green growth and sustainable development as strategic choices that cannot be reversed.
I also want to emphasize that: sustainable development for us is not only an economic and environmental issue. These are also issues of culture, society, people, and ethics. A sustainable development society is a society that values truth, justice, fairness, and compassion; a society where the elderly are respected, children are protected, women are given equal opportunities, and the disadvantaged are protected; a society where the people's trust in the Party, the State, the regime, and the future is always firm. Developing without those values is not sustainable; it is not our goal.
Ladies and gentlemen, beloved scientists,
I highly appreciate the fact that this workshop not only discusses the history, culture and art of Vietnam, which has always been the traditional strength of the Vietnamese research community, but also delves into the topics of structural significance and strategic significance for the future of our country: institutions, policies, science and technology, innovation, healthcare, education, economy, ideology and social policies.
In other words, you are not only researching "Who Vietnam is in the past", but also contributing to answering the question "Who will Vietnam be in the future". That is a contribution that is both academic and strategic.
I would like to thank the scientists, scholars, and Vietnamese experts who have devoted a lot of effort, many years of serious, honest, and objective work to research Vietnam. Your works not only help the world understand us more accurately, but also help us look back at ourselves more frankly. In the process of developing guidelines, policies and policies for national development, the Party and State of Vietnam always listen to independent, serious and good-law scientific criticism. Valuable research, rich in practical content, long-term vision are all valuable sources of reference for us in building a national development strategy.
I hope that after this workshop, your findings and policy recommendations, especially in areas such as institutional improvement, high-quality human resource development, narrowing regional development gaps, climate change adaptation, equitable energy transition, cultural heritage protection in the urbanization process, building a national innovation ecosystem... will continue to be shared and discussed more deeply with relevant agencies of Vietnam.
We have a very clear, very specific, very consistent aspiration: to build Vietnam into a developed country with high income, following the socialist orientation, in the mid-X mixing century. That is our second 100-year goal, coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, in 2045. The first 100-year goal, which is about to be completed by 2030, is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam and is also a milestone for us to strive to become a developing country with modern industry and high average income.
Those two 100-year goals are not just timelines, not just political slogans. That is the commitment to the Vietnamese people today, and to future generations. That is also Vietnam's commitment to international friends: Vietnam wants to grow with knowledge, creativity, equal cooperation and mutual respect; Vietnam wants to contribute to the common progress of humanity, create results through creative labor and enjoy those results together.
Ladies and gentlemen,
We enter a new stage of development with a new mindset, but with unchanging values.
First, national independence, national sovereignty, territorial integrity are sacred and invincible. No meaningful development is in exchange for independence that generations of ancestors had to sacrifice their blood and bones to regain.
Second, people's happiness must be measured by housing, education, health care, a clean living environment, and opportunities to create a more perfect life for each family, with the belief that our children and grandchildren will live better than us today. A ruling Party can only be worthy of the people if all decisions are aimed at improving the real life of the people.
Third, the strength of Vietnam is first of all the strength of great national unity. History has proven that when the whole nation is united, no force can conquer Vietnam. Great national unity is our way of existence throughout history. In the new development stage, great solidarity must be further expanded, including domestic and foreign intellectuals, the business community, artists, youth, women, people of ethnic groups, religions, overseas Vietnamese, and international friends who are attached to Vietnam with goodwill and mutual respect. I would like to emphasize: international friends who understand and love Vietnam, and study Vietnam honestly, objectively, and constructively, that is part of the soft power of Vietnam.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I hope the community of Vietnamese scholars will continue to accompany us, not only with affection but also with scientific knowledge, with evidence-based policy analysis, with specific, practical recommendations that can be implemented. I hope that research on Vietnam will increasingly be associated with urgent issues: population aging; comprehensive development of grassroots health care and social security; ensuring energy security in the context of emission reduction commitments; protecting digital sovereignty and cultural identity in the digital space; how to make artificial intelligence and automation serve human development without eliminating humans.
I also strongly recommend that international researchers, graduate students, and scientists come to Vietnam more, stay in Vietnam longer, work with Vietnamese colleagues more equally, and listen to the voice from the grassroots, from the local, from the community, not just look at Vietnam through the summarized data. I believe that Vietnam is a land rich in scientific materials for those who are interested in development, transformation, modernization, and sustainability.
Dear scientists, scholars and Ladies and gentlemen,
Vietnam enters the new era with great aspirations, but also with a humble, receptive, and listening attitude. We did not wish that the road ahead would be easy. Today's global challenges, geopolitical competition, climate change, crisis of confidence, rich-poor differentiation, technological inequality, no country can solve alone. Therefore, we always attach importance to dialogue, cooperation, respect for international law, and promote effective and fair multilateralism.
Vietnam wants to be a good friend, a trustworthy partner, and a responsible member of the international community. Vietnam wants to work with the world to protect peace, promote sustainable development, promote social justice, and spread the progressive human values of humanity. That is not just a foreign policy. That is a civilized choice, a moral choice.
Once again, I would like to thank all scientists, Vietnamese scholars, experts, comrades and friends who have devoted themselves to Vietnam, have accompanied Vietnam over the years and are present in Hanoi today.
We appreciate, thank and have high expectations for you.
I wish you good health, happiness and many new research inspirations about Vietnam, an independent, self-reliant, innovative, rapid and sustainable Vietnam in the new era.
Thank you very much.
