That was the message from Party General Secretary To Lam as he delivered a speech at the opening of the 13th plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee in Ha Noi on October 6 morning.
The Viet Nam News Agency (VNA) is honoured to present a translation of the Party General Secretary's speech at the event.
"Dear members of the Political Bureau, the Secretariat, and the Party Central Committee
Distinguished delegates,
Today, the 13th Party Central Committee opens its 13th plenum amid a rising revolutionary spirit and strengthening public confidence as our Party, people, and armed forces have just commemorated the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day on September 2. Most of socio-economic indicators in the first nine months outperformed those of the same period in 2024; the two-tier local administration model is operating smoothly; public services continue to improve, with the people and enterprises as the central focus. The development spaces after national planning are supporting and resonating with each other; the regional economy is becoming clearer and transforming into new competitive advantages. Over the past year, the seven strategic resolutions issued by the Politburo have paved the way for concrete, steady steps to maintain peace, stability, rapid and sustainable development, raise living standards, and realise the two centennial goals set forth by the Party and expected by the people.
With mettle, wisdom, proactivity, and creativity, we have largely restrained and resolved the complex pressures of political competition, reacted promptly to new trade policies from certain major partners, supply chain disruptions, trade conflicts, natural disasters, pandemics, and sabotage activities of hostile forces. Our Party has “steadily steered the ship through turbulent waters,” resolutely moving forward to pursue and exceed the targets laid out in the 13th National Party Congress’ Resolution and other strategic goals the Party has set.
On behalf of the Politburo and the Secretariat, I warmly welcome the members of the Party Central Committee and all guest delegates. I acknowledge and highly appreciate your efforts and achievements in recent times, and I extend to you my sincere wishes for health, happiness, and success.
Comrades,
In accordance with the working regulations of the Party Central Committee, the plenum’s Organising Committee has sent you the full agenda and programme in advance for your study, and you have just approved the programme and content for this 13th plenum.
I am confident that with your sense of responsibility and awareness as Party members, the Party Central Committee members will devote their best intellect and make substantive contributions to ensure the success of this plenum.
I would like to emphasise a number of key points among the agenda topics to guide your discussions, considerations and idea contributions, fulfilling the rights of Party members and responsibilities of the Party Central Committee members in this session.
I- The group of issues related to preparations for the 14th National Party Congress:
1- On personnel affairs for the congress:
Following Conclusion No. 180 issued on July 25, 2025 by the Party Central Committee regarding the orientations of personnel planning for the 14th Party Central Committee, and the Politburo and the Personnel Sub‑Committee’s notice on candidates for both official and alternate membership, including re-elected and first-time members, by August 20, 2025, all Party Committees and Party Organisations had nominated their candidates for the 14th Party Central Committee and submitted them to the Personnel Sub‑Committee. Based on these nominations and the results of appraisal, inspection, verification and supplemental conclusions by authorised agencies, the Politburo conducted a comprehensive evaluation, agreed on the candidate list, and carried out the official ballot voting in line with regulations. Simultaneously, the Politburo also conducted voting for candidates to the 14th Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission (re-elected and first-time members).
At this meeting, the Politburo will present to the Party Central Committee for comments the proposal on results and the candidate introducing plan for the 14th Party Central Committee and the 14th Inspection Commission, and then proceed with the voting to recommend the candidates according to regulations.
This is a matter of “extreme importance,” “key of the key,” a decisive factor for the success of the 14th National Party Congress and the development of the country in the coming period. I recommend that, when selecting candidates, comrades must base their selection on the standards, conditions, structure, and quantity according to the personnel work direction of the 14th National Party Congress and related regulations. The interests of the Party, the nation, and the people must be placed above all else. It is necessary to maintain balance and harmony between standards and structure; between continuity, stability, and development; between general applicability and particularity; between formal qualifications and individual strengths, practical capabilities; and between reputation, work experience, and developmental potential, with special priority on quality, effectiveness, work product, and the dedication of officials as criteria and measures in selection. The fundamental requirements in personnel selection are: qualities -capabilities - reputation - integrity - effectiveness; the courage to think, to act, and to take responsibility for the interests of the nation and the people; being close to the people, engaging with the people, and working for the people. In the current new revolutionary period, great emphasis is placed on the factors of “Virtue – Capacity - Talent.” It is absolutely essential to prevent the infiltration of individuals who seek positions or power through opportunism or factionalism into the Party Central Committee. Regarding personnel for the Party Central Committee’s Inspection Commission, it is necessary to select and recommend comrades who are mettled, impartial, well-versed in the law, proficient in their duties, “as pure as a mirror and as sharp as a sword,” truly serving as the steadfast sword that upholds the Party’s discipline.
2. On the draft documents for the 14th National Party Congress:
The draft documents have been meticulously prepared, updated, revised, and supplemented multiple times, especially incorporating the content agreed at the 11th and 12th meetings of the Party Central Committee. The documents now fundamentally meet the requirements for submission to the 14th National Party Congress. We aspire for these documents not only to summarise the past five years’ development and define the objectives and tasks for the next five years, but also to shape strategic thinking, vision, and the developmental direction of the country through the mid-21st century.
The Document Drafting Sub‑Committee has distilled and added the core elements of the seven new Politburo resolutions into the Political Report, and to date, 17 new points have been included in the draft documents for the 14th National Party Congress. In this meeting, Party Central Committee members and guest delegates should continue offering input to further refine the draft documents as each contribution is a step in our growth, and one more time we make the documents more complete.
Comrades, you should focus on five key areas: (i) Affirm the key role of Party building and rectification, continued renovation of the Party’s leadership methods, improvement of its ruling capacity and combat strength, and realisation of President Ho Chi Minh’s vision of the Party as “morality and civilisation” as well as the fight against corruption, wastefulness, negativity, individualism, and group interests, alongside the prevention of ideological, ethical, and lifestyle degradation. (ii) issues such as theoretical foundations for renewal; streamlining the state apparatus; enhancing local government performance under the two-tier model; promoting decentralisation, ensuring environmental protection; strengthening national defence, security, foreign affairs, and international integration, while effectively addressing the relationships between State-market-society, culture-human development, education, and health care must be properly included in the draft documents. (iii) establish a new growth model driven primarily by science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation, identifying this as the central pillar of the country's development model; continue to perfect the model of a socialist-oriented market economy, under the leadership of the Party and the management of the State; define more clearly the leading role of the State economy; consider private economic development as the most important driving force of the economy. (iv) valuable lessons from 40 years of national renewal. (v) give supplements to orientations on strategic autonomy, reform of the development model, and effective accounting-based thinking in national development.
The action programme of the Central Party Committee has been designed to closely align with set goals, indicators, and guiding views, development orientations, central tasks and strategic breakthroughs while being translated into concrete tasks, projects, and initiatives with clear responsibilities, resources, timelines, and measurable outcomes. However, these contents are new, requiring continued feedback from you to perfect them.
II- Socio-economic affairs
Overall, the socio-economic landscape of Vietnam in 2025 has been marked by a predominantly bright picture. Despite challenges posed by global uncertainties as well as severe natural disasters and storms, the country has maintained stability and sustained growth.
GDP in the third quarter of 2025 rose by 8.22%, bringing the nine-month growth rate to 7.84%. State budget revenue in the same period reached nearly 2 quadrillion VND (75.84 billion USD), equivalent to 97.9% of the annual estimate, while trade surplus approached 17 billion USD. All 15 major targets for 2025 are expected to be met or exceeded. The GDP growth is forecast at 8.1–8.5% this year. These achievements are the result of significant efforts by the Party, the Government, the National Assembly, the entire political system, local authorities, the business community, and the people. However, challenges remain within the economy that must be addressed to ensure more sustainable growth.
The year 2026 is the first year of the new tenure, holding critical importance for the implementation of the 14th National Party Congress’s Resolution. Ambitious goals have been set, including GDP growth of above 10%, per capita income of 5,400–5,500 USD, and CPI growth of around 4.5%. These are mandatory requirements, they will be extremely challenging. So, the Central Party Committee need to discuss and give strategic guidance for the Party Commitees of the National Assembly and the Government to finalise the 2026 socio-economic development plans and state budget estimates for 2026 and the next phase, aiming to drive the country toward “stability, discipline, acceleration, breakthrough, and sustainability”.
Comrades, you should focus discussing six priorities: (1) Maintaining macroeconomic stability through flexible and harmonious management of fiscal and monetary policies and reinforcing market confidence. (2) Promoting the three drivers of growth – investment, consumption, and exports – while fostering regional linkages and high-quality urbanisation. (3) Advancing digital transformation and green transition by leveraging data as a resource, the digital economy as a growth engine, and renewable energy and circular economy as sustainable pillars. (4) Improving productivity, quality, and standards through science, technology, and innovation, and raising value chains with stronger localisation. (5) Developing capital, labour, and real estate markets and science-technology toward greater safety, transparency, and efficiency. (6) Decisively implementing the programme on 11 strategic technologies set out in Resolution 57 to strengthen scientific and technological self-reliance.
The remaining agenda items of the plenum also require thorough discussion with objective, comprehensive, practical, and evidence-based contributions.
Comrades,
Revolutionary momentum does not come from words or emotions, but from concrete results, for example, “the meals of every family”, “milk for children, silk for the elderly.” Our people are looking to us with new trust and expectations.The Party Central Committee’s responsibility is to transform those expectations into reality and "turn policies into a flowing current of life".
Taking responsibility before the Party and the people, I request each member of the Party Central Committee to set an example, work substantively and effectively, uphold discipline, and act with urgency – “never put off what can be done today until tomorrow", "let words go hand in hand with actions", and "say it, do it” – in order to ensure the success of the 13th plenum and pave the way for the 14th National Party Congress.
With firm belief and new momentum, I declare the opening of the 13th plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee. I wish the plenum solidarity, wisdom, innovation and effectiveness; I wish you all good health, happiness and success.
Thank you very much!".
