In the vibrant and proud atmosphere welcoming the Lunar New Year and the 95th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, could you share your insights into advantages and opportunities for Vietnam to enter the new era - the era of the nation’s rise?

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee To Lam.

Over the past nearly 95 years under the Party's leadership, Vietnam has achieved historical milestones, undergoing the era of struggling for national independence and socialism building (1930 – 1975); and the era of national reunification and renewal (1975 – 2025).

And now, we are stepping into the era of the nation’s rise, which begins with a very important event - the 14th National Party Congress. Each era lays the groundwork for the next, with subsequent eras inheriting and furthering the achievements of their predecessors, and intertwining national independence with socialism, propelling their continuous development.

The will of the Party mixes with the hearts of the people, driving the aspiration to elevate the nation into the new era.

The era of the nation's rise is the one of breakthrough development and acceleration under the leadership of the Party, successfully building a happy, prosperous, civilised, equitable, democratic, and wealthy socialist Vietnam that can catch up with, advance alongside, and stand shoulder to shoulder with powers across the five continents.

The top priority in this new era is to successfully achieve the strategic goals, turning Vietnam into a developing nation with a modern industrial base and upper middle-income by 2030; and a developed socialist country with high income by 2045, where every citizen enjoys comprehensive development and a prosperous, free, happy, and civilised life.

The 14th National Party Congress will mark the starting point of this new era, as we successfully complete the renewal process after 40 years of enduring work and creativity and obtaining great achievements.

Vietnam has transformed itself from a poverty-stricken, backward, embargoed and blockaded nation into a middle-income developing country that is intensively and extensively integrating into the world politics, global economy, and mankind's culture, taking on many international missions and playing an active role at various important multilateral organisations and forums.

Vietnam attracts over 31 billion USD in FDI in 2024, ranking among the top 15 developing countries with the largest FDI inflows in the world.

National independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity have been firmly maintained, while national interests have been ensured. In 2023, Vietnam’s economy was 96 times larger than in 1986, ranking among the 40 largest economies globally and the top 20 in terms of trade and foreign investment attraction.

Vietnam has set up diplomatic ties with 194 countries and territories worldwide and has established strategic cooperative partnerships and comprehensive strategic partnerships with all major powers in the world.

The living standards of the country's 105 million people have been significantly improved, with a sharp reduction in the poverty rate and the early achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.

Political, economic, cultural, social, scientific - technological, defence and security potential has been constantly being enhanced.

From now to 2030 is the most important period to establish a new world order. This is also a strategic opportunity and a sprint period of the Vietnamese revolution to achieve the strategic goals set for the occasion of the Party’s centennial anniversary, creating a solid foundation to fulfill the targets set for the 100th founding anniversary of the nation.

The important thing is that we maximise the strength of the great national unity bloc, and the efforts and strong determination of the entire Party, people, army, and political system to realise the aspiration for a prosperous and happy country.

Our country is at a new historic turning point with an urgent demand for a profound renovation of the Party’s leadership methods. Could you please outline the key tasks to continue strengthening the Party’s leadership and governing capacity, ensuring that our Party remains the great helmsman, steering our nation forward with strength?

Throughout the process of leading the Revolution, our Party has continuously explored, developed, supplemented, and refined its leadership methods, aiming to enhance its leadership and ruling capacity.

The country is at a historic turning point, which presents an urgent need for a strong renewal of leadership methods and to further improve the Party’s leadership and governing capacity to take our nation forward strongly.

First and foremost, we need to reach unity in understanding and creatively implement the Party's leadership and ruling methods in the new context, not relaxing our leadership and, absolutely, not taking over the work of others.

This requires innovation and reshuffle of the apparatus for an elite, streamlined, efficient and effective political system.

This is an urgent task that must be conducted in a swift, vigorous, thorough, scientific, and humanistic manner, guided by the principle of central authorities set examples, localities follow, and the spirit of moving forward while ensuring organisation,” “not allowing work to be disrupted, and the new organisational model must be better and more effective than the old one.

In this process, it is necessary to focus on streamlining the apparatus, ensuring that the Party’s agencies truly become the intellectual core, the general staff, the vanguard team leading Government agencies.

The Party’s advisory bodies must be genuinely streamlined, with personnel possessing strong political qualities, competence, professional skills, and high sense of responsibility.

Working styles and procedures must be reformed drastically towards professionalism and efficiency, ensuring everyone “plays their right role and knows their job.”

To renew the Party’s leadership methods, there must be a strong reform in how Party resolutions are issued, popularised, and implemented, while making grassroots Party organisations and Party members truly the cells of the Party.

Resolutions of the Party Central Committee and Party Committees and Party organisations at all levels must be brief, concise, easy to understand, remember and implement. They must clearly identify the right requirements, tasks, and development path for the country, each locality, ministry, and sector.

They must have visions, scientificity, practicality, and feasibility, and inspire confidence, expectations, and motivation among Party members, officials, economic sectors, businesses, and the public.

The dissemination and implementation of the resolutions should create a strong sense of self-awareness and deep understanding, especially for new policies, viewpoints, and solutions.

The focus should be on building strong Party cells, good Party members, and improving the quality of regular Party meetings in conjunction with the implementation of resolutions and the Party’s policies and orientations.

Besides, inspection and supervision activities need to continue to be renewed, ensuring that Party resolutions are put into practice effectively and the Party and State apparatus operate effectively and efficiently.

Through inspections and supervision, we can identify new factors, creative and good practices, while also timely correcting any deviations and errors, and stopping any wrongdoings and violations of Party rules and State law.

The Party must also accelerate digital transformation in its operations to ensure all activities are done more effectively, strongly supporting efforts to protect internal political security and build a clean and strong Party.

 Recently, the Politburo has consolidated the central steering committee for prevention and control of corruption, wastefulness, and negative phenomena. Could you explain how the fight against wastefulness should be implemented to continue strengthening the Party, making it ethical and civilised?

In reality, wastefulness is quite prevalent today, occurs in many different forms, and has been causing numerous serious consequences. The fight against wastefulness is a fierce and complex battle against internal enemies that is comparable to the fight against corruption and negative phenomena.

In response to the need for increasing resources and mobilising public support for national construction and development, on October 29, 2024, the Politburo issued Decision No. 192-QD/TW to strengthen the central steering committee for prevention and control of corruption, wastefulness, and negative phenomena, which adds the task of preventing and fighting wastefulness, with focus on the management and use of public finances and public assets, towards the goal of fostering a culture of thrift and waste prevention throughout society.

The decision emphasises the urgent and comprehensive implementation of the prevention and control of corruption, wastefulness and negative phenomena right at the local and grassroots level.

In the coming time, extensive communication activities should be conducted to raise awareness and sense of responsibility among officials, Party members, and workers.

This begins with the responsibility of setting an example by the head of each agency and organisation in both the public and private sectors, underscoring the significance, importance, and responsibility of thrift practice and wastefulness prevention.

Such practices must be clearly reflected in specific commitments, plans, and targets and should be carried out regularly, thoroughly, and practically via widespread emulation movements and campaigns within the Party, and among the people and the armed forces.

Additionally, timely recognition, commendation, and replication of exemplary models in thrift practices and wastefulness prevention are essential.

In addition, it is necessary to improve regulations and sanctions, and strictly handle individuals and collectives whose actions or decisions lead to the loss or waste of public assets, in the spirit of “handling one case to warn an entire region or sector.”

Efforts should focus on thoroughly addressing the root causes of public asset wastefulness, as well as the misuse of natural resources and other resources, so as to save resources for the welfare of the people and the development of the nation.

We must build a culture of integrity, free from corruption, wastefulness, and negative phenomena among officials, Party members, and citizens throughout the society, making thrift practice a habitual and voluntary practice, as natural as “eating meals, drinking water, and wearing clothes daily.”

It is also necessary to encourage officials, Party members, and citizens to practice thrift, foster the habit of treasuring working time, state funds, public assets, and the labour of the people.

Furthermore, efforts must be made to promote technology application, digital transformation, and administrative reform to effectively address harassment and unnecessary burdens placed on citizens and businesses; combat petty corruption and address issues such as the “fear of responsibility,” passing the buck, avoidance, hesitation, and inaction.

It is also important to prevent the misuse of anti-corruption, wastefulness and negative phenomena work to obstruct development or seek personal gain.

When Party organisations and Party members well perform those tasks, public trust in the Party's leadership will be strengthened; resources and assets will be used properly, contributing to sustainable development not only of our country but also the world as a whole.

Party congresses at all levels leading up to the 14th National Party Congress will be held in 2025. What should be kept in mind for the preparation and organisation of those events?

Party congresses at all levels for the 2025-2030 tenure will be an extensive political activity and the 14th National Party Congress will be a significant milestone in our country and people’s development journey.

In preparation for the National Party Congress, we have two crucial tasks, which are to compile documents for submission to and prepare personnel for the Congress in accordance with the Politburo’s Directive No.35-CT/TW dated June 14, 2024.

The documents must be of exceptional quality, representing the collective wisdom of the whole Party, people and armed forces, as they will serve as the basis for other documents and act as the “guiding light” for the missions to be carried out during the Congress term and the following years.

In building the documents, we must continue to adhering to the guiding ideas of late Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, particularly the three fundamental principles of steadfastness and innovation; inheritance and development; and smooth integration of theory and practice as well as theoretical research, practical summaries and policy direction.

The content of the documents must reflect viewpoints and policies, clearly summarise and evaluate the results and achievements obtained during the 13th term and 40 years of Doi moi (renewal), along with causes and lessons learnt.

Particularly, due attention must be paid to highlighting new results and methods and established foundations, discovering and exploring emerging ideas, tasks and solutions that show vitality in practice, and identifying policies that have been proven to be correct and suitable in reality or those that require further amendments, supplements and development.

The documents must inspire pride and confidence among officials, Party members and people in the Party’s wise direction and the goals and path towards socialism selected by our beloved Uncle Ho and the entire nation selected.

As personnel work plays a crucial role in each Congress term, being the “key of keys”, it must be prepared meticulously and prudently. Selected personnel must be exemplary and outstanding, possess mettle, quality, leadership ability, and professional competence, and command respect among both the people and Party to handle strategic-level issues.

Besides, they must demonstrate a fighting spirit, strong discipline, close ties with the people, and the ability to promote solidarity and unity within the Party and people, proving worthy of leading the country in the new development phase.

Therefore, subcommittees in charge of the preparation work must continue working urgently with the highest sense of responsibility to the Party and people to effectively carry out their tasks, contributing to the success of the Congress.

At the plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee in Hanoi on November 25, 2024.

As a new spring is coming, bringing new aspirations, confidence, and spirit, what is the message that you would like to send to the Vietnamese people, soldiers, overseas Vietnamese, and international friends?

In 2025, the whole Party, people and armed forces will strive to sprint towards the goal of successfully implementing the resolution adopted of the 13th National Party Congress in celebration of the 95th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3, 1930-2025), the 50th anniversary of the Liberation of the South and National Reunification (April 30, 1975-2025), the 135th birthday of Uncle Ho (May 19, 1890-2025), the 80th founding anniversary of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (September 2, 1945-2025)...

In the global context that presents both opportunities and challenges, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, based on the foundation of the great national solidarity, closely aligning the Party' will with the people’s aspiration, and promotion of the spirit of “autonomy, confidence, self-reliance, and national pride” as well as pure international solidarity, Vietnam will advance firmly into a new era – the era of the nation’s rise, contributing more to peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world, fulfilling President Ho Chi Minh's wish to build a peaceful, unified, independent, democratic, and prosperous Vietnam, making worthy contributions to the world revolutionary cause.

In this journey, the Vietnamese Party, State, and people hope to continue receiving support and close cooperation from friends, partners, and peace-loving people worldwide.

On the occasion of the Year of the Snake 2025, on behalf of the Party and State's leaders, I would like to extend my warmest wishes for health, happiness, and success to all compatriots, soldiers nationwide, overseas Vietnamese, and international friends!

Thank you very much! We wish you and your family good health, peace, and prosperity in the new year, as well as success in steering our Party and nation's revolutionary ship toward new achievements!