Outstanding elderly people honoured in patriotic emulation movements

At the conference, on behalf of the Party and State leaders, Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra extended warm greetings and best wishes for health and happiness to the delegates attending the conference, especially the nearly 17 million elderly people nationwide.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasised that this is an event of profound significance, an opportunity to recall the glorious traditions of Vietnamese elderly people; express the gratitude and honour the immense contributions of generations of elderly people to the revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation; and at the same time affirm the increasingly important role and position of the elderly in the construction and protection of the Fatherland.

85 years ago, leader Nguyen Ai Quoc called on the elderly and the entire nation to unite to save the country, affirming the great responsibility of the elderly towards the destiny of the nation, while emphasising the prestige, exemplary role, and special influence of the elderly in the community.

Bearing in mind his teachings, throughout the revolutionary periods, Vietnamese elderly people have always upheld patriotism, self-reliance, self-strength, and the spirit of national unity; actively participating in resistance, nation-building, and the construction and protection of the Fatherland; becoming shining examples of courage, wisdom, responsibility, and dedication.

The Deputy Prime Minister noted that the country is entering a new stage of development with many great opportunities and advantages, but also facing new challenges. The aging of the population is happening faster than predicted, while digital transformation, artificial intelligence, the green economy, and the circular economy are profoundly changing all aspects of social life.

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasised that, in this context, the need for healthcare, social security, and improving the quality of life for the elderly is increasingly urgent. More importantly, there must be a strong shift in thinking from simply caring for the elderly to a harmonious combination of “protecting, caring for, and promoting the role of the elderly.”

The elderly are not only beneficiaries of policies, but also an important resource for development, active participants in economic, social, cultural, national defense, and security activities; a bridge between tradition and modernity, a spiritual pillar for families and communities, and a valuable asset of the nation, she added.

To further promote the glorious traditions of Vietnamese elderly people, the Deputy PM requested that ministries, sectors, localities, the Viet Nam Fatherland Front, the Viet Nam Association of Elderly People, and relevant agencies focus on implementing several key tasks.

These include: continuing to thoroughly understand President Ho Chi Minh Thought, the Party’s guidelines, and the State’s policies and laws on the elderly; recognising the elderly as a vital resource and driving force of the country, a spiritual pillar spreading good moral values, qualities, and culture within families, communities, and in the socio-economic development goals of the nation.

The Government will further strengthen its direction to ministries, sectors, and localities to promptly concretise and perfect policy mechanisms and effectively implement strategies, programs, and projects for the elderly, ensuring clear objectives and sufficient resources, as well as close coordination mechanisms, she noted.