Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong attended the National Cultural Conference, organised by the Politburo and the Secretariat on November 24. Nhan Dan Online introduces the full text of the speech delivered by the Party General Secretary at this event.
Leaders and former leaders of the Party, State and Vietnam Fatherland Front,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Comrades,
Today, in the capital city of Hanoi – “a place where the soul of mountains and rivers has been settled for thousands of years”; “a place of confluence, crystallisation and shining of the nation’s culture and civilisation”; “the Capital City of Human Dignity”; the “City for Peace”; and “the elegant, civilised and heroic City”; we solemnly organise the National Cultural Conference with an aim to implement the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress on the field of culture. This is a very meaningful activity in many aspects; I am very pleased and excited to attend this Conference. I say this for three reasons:
- Position and important role of culture: Culture is the soul of the nation, expressing the identity of the nation. The culture remains, the nation remains,
- Since November 24, 1946, such a national conference on culture with a large scale is being organised today.
- The Conference is organised after the National Party Congress and meetings of the National Assembly, Government, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and the Internal Affairs sector. And there will be conferences on foreign affairs and Party building and rectification in the near future.
First of all, I would like to send the best wishes to the delegates, distinguished guests and all my comrades. May our Conference be a great success.
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong delivered a speech at the National Cultural Conference. (Photo: Dang Khoa)
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong delivered a speech at the National Cultural Conference. (Photo: Dang Khoa)
Comrades,
In a broad meaning, culture is the spiritual and material development level of humanity in each certain historical period (stone age, bronze age, Dong Son culture, rice culture, etc).
In a narrow meaning: culture is the mental activity of a society, including the following fields: education, science, literature, arts, and morality (lifestyle, manners, behaviours, etc). Culture also includes both tangible culture (historic sites, cultural works, cultural heritages, cultural products: pyramids, communal houses, pagodas, shrines, etc) and intangible culture (folk songs, festivals; customs and practices of each country, region, ethnic group, locality, etc). The culture we discuss here is mainly in the narrow meaning.
But whether in a broad or narrow meaning, when it comes to culture, it means what is the quintessence and crystallisation of the most noble and unique values of humanity, benevolence, and progress. And what is evil, mean, despicable, illegal is considered unculture and counter-culture. Human happiness is not only based on having a lot of money or possessions, good food and nice clothes, but also being rich in soul, living in the midst of love, compassion, righteousness and fairness.
Vietnam is a country with more than 4,000 years of history, through countless changes, ups and downs caused by nature and humans, it has accumulated, created and promoted many values with its own national cultural identity, forming the nation's soul; at the same time acquiring and contributing to the common culture of mankind.
Deeply aware of the position, role, meaning and importance of culture in the development of the country and people, right from the first political platform of the Party in 1930, they mentioned the issue of developing the culture of the nation; and in 1943, when the country had not yet achieved independence, our Party set out the “Vietnamese Cultural Outline”, which clearly stated “The Cultural Front is one of the three fronts (politics, economic, culture)”, and advocated the development of culture in three directions: Ethnicity - Science - Mass. The views and guiding ideas of the Party in this important document have created for a new vitality to bring together intellectuals, writers and artists, and people to promote the role of culture, unify on awareness, ideology and organisation, arousing the nation's aspirations in the fight for national independence, preparing the spirit and forces for the successful August Revolution, establishing the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the first worker-peasant’s State in Southeast Asia., in 1945.
During the 9-year resistance war against the French colonialists, Vietnamese culture has really become a spiritual driving force to mobilise all resources for the resistance war, making an important contribution to the resplendent victory of Dien Bien Phu which “resounded throughout the seven continents and was world-shaking” in 1954.
After the historic victory of Dien Bien Phu, the whole country focused on carrying out two strategic tasks of building socialism in the North and fighting for national reunification. The Party paid great attention to cultural work, as well as encouraged the contingent of artists, writers and cultural forces to promote their role in building and developing a new national culture and people. The third National Party Congress in 1960 determined the goal of the socialist revolution in culture and applied those perceptions to building an advanced Vietnamese culture, to serve the cause of the socialist revolution and continuously improve the material and spiritual life of the people. The Party emphasised that the development of the arts, the press, publication, radio, cinema, libraries, museums, preservation, and enhancement of the ideological, combative and popular characteristics of that work. At the same time, the Party has also paid special attention to mass cultural work, building activities and cultural institutions at the grassroots level, raising people's intellectual standards, renovating cultural institutions, and building a new cultural life.
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, Permanent member of the Secretariat Vo Van Thuong and delegates at the conference. (Photo: Dang Khoa)
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue, Permanent member of the Secretariat Vo Van Thuong and delegates at the conference. (Photo: Dang Khoa)
Current and former Party and State leaders visit the exhibition “Culture shines the path for the people to move forward”. (Photo: Dang Khoa)
Current and former Party and State leaders visit the exhibition “Culture shines the path for the people to move forward”. (Photo: Dang Khoa)
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and delegates attending the conference. (Photo: Dang Khoa)
General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue and delegates attending the conference. (Photo: Dang Khoa)
The Party’s leadership during the 1960-1975 period helped bring the role of Vietnamese culture into play in fulfilling the mission of national construction and fighting foreign aggressors, mobilising military forces and cultural forces of the entire nation in the resistance war against the US to achieve the great victory of spring 1975 that reunified the country. President Ho Chi Minh’s strong calls that: “We would rather sacrifice everything than lose our country and return to slavery”, “Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom” and “The Vietnamese country is one, the Vietnamese people are one! Rivers can dry up and mountains can be eroded, but such a truth will never change!” have become the sacred life purpose of all Vietnamese people and the essence of Vietnamese culture. Women will also join the battle if the enemy attacks their homes and once the enemy is destroyed, the Vietnamese people will shed their weapons and become peaceful again.
The 4th National Party Congress highly appreciated the contributions of culture, literature and arts in the resistance war against the US while affirming that:
President Ho Chi Minh is not only a talented leader, a great master of Vietnamese revolution, an outstanding soldier of the international communist and workers’ movement, but also a man of culture as recognised by UNESCO, along with Nguyen Du, Nguyen Trai, Chu Van An, Nguyen Dinh Chieu and Ho Xuan Huong.
The 1975-1985 period was the transition from war to peace when Vietnam had to deal with serious consequences of war, restore the damage to economic, cultural and educational facilities, and unify institutions and culture on a national scale. The entire people endured hardships and placed absolute trust in the Party’s leadership to overcome the challenges brought about by the socio-economic crisis and the complex international situation.
Entering the Doi Moi renovation period, from 1986 to the present, under the Party’s leadership, we have carried out synchronous and comprehensive reforms in all aspects, from economics and politics to culture, society, security, defence and external relations. In the field of culture, the Party has introduced many important resolutions, decisions and decrees to build and develop culture in the new period. On the basis of reviewing the cultural achievements in the early years of Doi Moi, the Party promulgated Resolution 4 of the 7th Central Committee and Resolution 5 of the 8th Central Committee in 1998 on building and developing an advanced Vietnamese culture deeply imbued with national identity.
These resolutions are of strategic significance to Vietnamese cultural development during the period of stepping up national industrialisation and modernisation. The Party has selected eight areas to focus its leadership on, in which the most important issue is building people, with the focus on building ideology, morality, lifestyle and building a healthy cultural environment.
In the 1991 Platform for National Construction in the transitional period towards socialism and the updated Platform in 2011, the Party has determined the building and developing of an advanced Vietnamese culture deeply imbued with national identity as one of the basic features of socialism that we are building.
The updated Platform in 2011 stated that building an advanced and comprehensive Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity, unified in diversity, deeply imbued with humanistic, democratic and progressive spirit; making culture closely connected and ingrained in the whole social life, becoming the solid spiritual foundation and the important intrinsic strength of development. Next came Resolution 33 of the 9th Plenum of the 11th Central Committee in 2014 on building and developing Vietnamese culture and people to meet sustainable requirements of national development. In this resolution, the Party continued to affirm the viewpoints and tasks stated by Resolution 5 of the 8th Central Committee while supplementing and placing emphasis on a number of new issues, thus affirming the goal, role and mission of culture.
On the general goal, the Party pointed out that building a comprehensive Vietnamese culture towards truth, beauty and goodness, deeply imbued with national, humanistic, democratic and scientific spirits; helping culture truly become the solid spiritual foundation of society and an important intrinsic strength that ensures the sustainable development and firm protection of the fatherland, for the sake of a wealthy people and a strong, democratic, just and civilised country.
The Party emphasised that culture must be placed on a par with economics, politics and social affairs; clarified the features of an advanced Vietnamese culture deeply imbued with national identity as being national, humanistic, democratic and scientific; and emphasised that the focus of building a culture is to develop a people with a quality and fine lifestyle.
In this resolution, the Party has determined a number of new tasks, namely building culture in politics and economics, developing cultural industries and perfecting the cultural market. The Politburo promulgated Conclusion 76-KL/TW on continuing to implement Resolution 33-NQ/TW of the 11th Central Committee on building and developing Vietnamese culture and people to meet the sustainable requirements of national development.
I want to affirm that since the establishment, our Party has always attached great importance to the role of culture and paid great attention to building a culture in the cause of national liberation and construction, especially in the transitional period to socialism. The Party's awareness of culture is becoming more and more comprehensive, complete and profound.
Our Party identifies: Culture is the spiritual foundation of society, a goal and an endogenous strength, an important driving force for the national development. Synchronous cultural development paired in harmony with economic growth and social progress is a fundamental orientation towards the process of building socialism in Vietnam, demonstrating the superiority of our regime.
Culture lights the way for the nation!
The culture that we are building is an advanced culture imbued with national identity with the core content of national independence and socialism. Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh ideology play a leading role in the spiritual life of society combined with inheriting the concrete cultural traditions of the nation while selectively absorbing the achievements and cultural quintessence of the world towards building a civilised and healthy society for genuine interests and human dignity with higher levels of knowledge, morality, fitness, lifestyle and aesthetics. At the same time, our Party also affirms that people are the subject and hold central positions in the development strategy. Both cultural and human development are the goals and the driving force for the renewal. Harnessing the development of education and training as well as science and technology lead the national policy, environmental protection has been one of the vital issues facing the criterion of sustainable development, building a happy family and solidifying a healthy society with the realisation of gender equality as a criterion of progress and civilisation.
Our Party affirms: The focus of cultural building and development is to create people with personality and build a healthy cultural environment, focusing on the relationship between culture, politics and economy while building culture within the Party and the political system. The reinforcement of a civil servant culture, especially public service ethics should concentrate on setting an example for cadres and party members. Our Party has also determined that the subject of cultural creation and development is the Party leadership, the State management, and the creativeness of the people, including intellectuals, writers and artist, who also play an important role in cultural building, making the most from resources of the State and society both at home and abroad.
Thus, our Party's awareness of cultural development in the renewal period has been gradually supplemented and perfected in a more comprehensive and profound manner. This is a very basic premise for us to thoroughly grasp and exercise in practice.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Looking back on the achievements in building and developing Vietnamese culture under the leadership of the Party, especially in the past 35 years of renewal, we have the right to be proud of the great contributions of the Vietnamese culture to the cause of national salvation and construction. The outstanding achievements needed to be highlighted, include the increasingly comprehensive and profound cultural awareness across various fields. This includes the increasingly diverse and rich cultural products, meeting new and multifaceted requirements of society. Many traditional cultural values and heritages of the nation are inherited, preserved and promoted. Culture in politics and economy is initially valued and boosted effectively and positively. Cultural industry and market have both prospered. International exchange, cooperation and integration activities see new development strides.
The Vietnamese people are gradually becoming the centre of the socio-economic development strategy. The struggle, criticism and pushback against the incorrect views and behaviours that are harmful towards the culture and lifestyle are being focused upon. Many bright examples in the patriotic emulation movement and the “All people unite to build a cultural life” movement have been praised and spread into society, reinforcing people's faith in the cause of culture building as well as the national construction and development.
On this occasion, I would like to represent the leaders of the Party and State to welcome, congratulate, praise and thank the great contributions of the entire Party and people as well as intellectuals, writers, artists, and participants in the cultural front in recent times.
Besides these achievements, we also need to look directly at the limitations, shortcomings, inadequacies and weaknesses in the cultural area in order to find out the reasons and solutions to overcome. The notable limitations and weaknesses that have been repeated many times is attributed to the fact that culture is not as deeply understood or paid attention to like economics and politics. Thus, culture has not become an endogenous resource or driving force for the country's sustainable development. The role of culture in building people has not been properly defined with a tendency to focus heavily on entertainment functions. The development of cultural fields has not been synchronised but still remains one-sided and yet to go into depth and substance. There is a shortage of large-scale cultural, literary and artistic works that reflect the stature of the renewal and have positive effects on the building of our country and its people. The cultural environment is still polluted by social evils, corruption and negativity. The gap in cultural enjoyment between the regions still remains large.
Cultural life in ethnic minority areas, remote areas, borders and islands still remain difficult. Many precious cultural heritages of the nation are in danger of being degraded or even lost. The leadership, direction and management of culture is still confused or delayed, especially in the institutionalisation of the Party's views and guidelines on culture. Investment in culture still has its inadequacies and is scattered with low efficiency…
The quality and quantity of staff of cultural work have not yet met the requirements of cultural development in the new period. The introduction and promotion of Vietnamese culture abroad has not been strong; and the absorption of quintessence of human culture has remained limited. The preservation, protection and promotion of good and unique cultural values of the nation have not received great attention nor active measures. There were sometimes imitations from foreign countries in a ridiculous, objectionable and non-selective (even “uncultured” and “counter-cultural”) manner.
The above weaknesses and inadequacies have been settled slowly although they have been repeated in many documents and resolutions of the Party. They have caused consequences and negative impacts on socio-economic development, human construction, and cultural environment of the country.
The above limitations and shortcomings are attributable to both objective and subjective causes, mainly subjective. Notably, in the work of leadership and management, we have not been fully, deeply and comprehensively aware of the Party’s cultural guidelines, especially in the current period of renewal. The management method has seen slow innovation, and has not adapted in a timely manner to the cultural movement and development during the period of industrialisation, modernisation and international integration. The institutionalisation and implementation of the Party’s guidelines of culture have not been synchronous, drastic nor effective. The organisation and staff work in the field of culture have still recorded many shortcomings. The responsibility of party committees at all levels, organisations in the political system, cadres and party members for leading and directing the cultural development has not been high. We need to deeply analyse the causes to find ways to overcome them, towards further enhancing the revival and development of Vietnamese culture in the near future.
Ladies and gentlemen,
With a vision from now until 2045, the 100th founding anniversary of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam), Vietnamese culture is also facing new opportunities and challenges. The great achievements of historical significance over the past 35 years of Doi Moi (Renewal) have created a new position and potential while strengthening national synergy and the international prestige of the country. People's trust has been increasingly enhanced, creating important premise for the national construction and defence and the development of an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity. With a humility, we can say that: Our country has never before had the potential, position and prestige in the international arena as it does today. This is a huge advantage for us to strengthen our national pride and determination to renew and revive Vietnamese culture in the new era. On the other hand, the shortcomings during the recent process of socio-economic development and cultural construction are also major barriers to cultural development. The impact of globalisation, international competition, and the struggle in the field of culture and ideology will also be more drastic and complicated. The fourth industrial revolution, digital technology, digital society, cultural society, etc., will bring about opportunities while posing new challenges in the work of cultural construction and development. In addition, we are also facing the challenges from traditional and non-traditional well-being, especially climate change and the pandemic, firstly adapting to COVID-19 towards protecting people’s health and boosting socio-economic development.
Facing new opportunities and challenges, the objective requirement for our country's revolutionary cause is to continue to build, preserve and develop an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity so that culture is truly “the spiritual foundation”, “the driving force for development”, and “a torch lighting the way for the nation to forge ahead”; to promote the cultural values and human strength and to evoke the aspiration towards developing a prosperous and prosperous country while creating the synergy of the whole nation to take advantage of opportunities, overcome challenges and successfully realise the goal of turning our country into a socialist-oriented developed country by the middle of the 21st century.
It can be said that cultural development is one of the key issues, a prominent content in the Document of the 13th National Party Congress. This was the first time in the National Party Congress’ Document, the Party comprehensively and deeply mentioned the culture, from the theme of the Congress to the views, goals, major orientations, key tasks, and breakthrough strategies.
The Document emphasised that one of the core and cross-cutting guidelines is that “Strongly evoking patriotism, self-reliance and the aspiration to develop a prosperous and happy country; upholding the synergy of the whole political system, culture and people of Vietnam; combining national strength with the strength of the time; making the most of internal resources while taking advantage of external forces, in which endogenous resources, notably human resources, are the most important”.
In order to continue building, preserving, revitalising and developing national culture, we should focus on effective performance in the following key tasks:
Firstly, further evoking patriotism, self-reliance, solidarity and the aspiration to develop a prosperous and happy country; highly promoting the cultural values, strength and dedication of all Vietnamese people, towards creating endogenous resources and a breakthrough motivation to successfully implement the country’s development goals by 2025, 2030, with a vision to 2045, as set out by the 13th National Party Congress.
Secondly, building Vietnamese people with appropriate standard values, in association with preserving and promoting the values of Vietnamese family, cultural values and values of the nation, during the period of renewal, development and integration; skilfully combining traditional values with contemporary values: patriotism, unity, self-reliance, affection and gratitude, honesty, responsibility, discipline, and creativity. These values are nurtured by Vietnamese family’s culture with the core values of: prosperity, happiness, progress and civilisation, which are developed by an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity through the value system: nation, democracy, humanity, and science, as well as on the basis of the national value system. They are also the noble goal of our nation, towards peace, unification, independence, rich people, strong country, democracy, justice, civilisation, and happiness.
Thirdly, comprehensively and synchronously developing fields of culture, cultural environment, and cultural life; preserving and promoting traditional cultural values, acquiring cultural quintessence of mankind while improving the quality and effectiveness in the creation of new cultural values. Building a healthy and civilised cultural environment while stepping up the uncompromising struggle against evil and counterculture; and protecting the values of truth, goodness, and beauty. Improving the cultural lives of the people; building a joyful, healthy and happy cultural life; narrowing the gap in cultural development and enjoyment among areas and regions of the country.
Fourthly, promoting the role of people, who are both actors and beneficiaries of cultural creativity; respecting and protecting diverse expressions of culture, people, ethnic groups, areas, and regions; developing mass and substantive cultural movements; raising people's level of cultural enjoyment. Upholding and promoting the pioneering role of intellectuals, artists and those working in the cultural sector.
Fifthly, paying attention to building the Party and political system in terms of culture and morality; resolutely fighting against corruption and negative phenomena in order to build a truly “virtuous and civilised” Party and political system, which represent the conscience and dignity of Vietnamese people. Creating a culture of leadership and management; promoting the exemplary role of cadres and Party members, especially those at strategic level following President Ho Chi Minh's thought, morality, and cultural style. Enhancing the role and leadership of the Party, the effective management of the State, the active participation of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and socio-political organisations in the cause of cultural development.
Sixthly, building a digital cultural environment which stays in line with the digital economy, digital society and digital citizens so that culture can adapt to and regulate the country's sustainable development in the context of the fourth Industrial Revolution. Developing cultural industries and building a healthy cultural market.
Community-based tourism in Che Can Village, Muong Phang Commune, Dien Bien Phu City (Dien Bien Province).
Community-based tourism in Che Can Village, Muong Phang Commune, Dien Bien Phu City (Dien Bien Province).
In order to prosper and develop culture, and build Vietnamese people in the above-mentioned direction, in the coming time, we need to drastically and effectively implement a number of the following solutions:
Firstly, improving the awareness and leadership capacity of Party and State management over the cultural sector in order to meet the requirements in cultural development and develop Vietnamese people in the period of developing a socialist-oriented market economy as well as stepping up the national industrialisation, modernisation and international integration. Continuing the renovation of the Party’s leadership and the State’s management to ensure the unity in both thought and action in cultural construction and development from the central to the grassroots level. Party committees and authorities at all levels must be thoroughly aware of and fully grasp the Party's viewpoints and guidance on culture in the forming of programmes and plans on culture and mobilising maximum resources for cultural development.
Culture must be placed in the same position with economy, politics and society. The recent 13th National Party Congress asserted that the overall development strategy of our country in the coming period is to develop the country rapidly and sustainably, while ensuring the close alignment and synchronous implementation of tasks, in which socio-economic development is the central task; Party building is the key task; cultural development is the spiritual foundation of society; and ensuring national defence and security is a critical and continual task. This is a fundamental guidance that needs to be implemented seriously and drastically in branches and levels.
Regarding State management, it is necessary to overcome the slow institutionalisation of the Party's guideline and viewpoints into laws and specific and feasible policies on cultural and human development. Promoting the reorganisation of the cultural management apparatus from the central to the grassroots level. Developing and promulgating appropriate mechanisms and policies which focus on the characteristics of cultural and artistic activities. Increasing the investment sourced from the state budget, while mobilising social resources, domestic and foreign resources for cultural development. The State needs to pay attention to investing in revolutionary culture, which plays a key role in guiding, inspiring and fostering people’s thoughts, souls, and emotional health, contributing to building the spiritual foundation of society.
Secondly, enhancing the training of staff who are directly engaged in cultural activities in line with the requirements and tasks of developing Vietnamese culture in the new period. Our Party has reiterated that “Cadres are the root of all work”. Cultural leadership and management requires not only political qualities, but also professional qualifications, understanding, broad vision, and the ability to mobilise and persuade people from all walks of life to participate in the building and development of culture. Special attention must be paid to training, fostering and building a team of intellectuals and artists. They play an extremely important role in the cultural development and the national revolutionary cause in general. Uncle Ho once advised: "In order to fulfil their noble duties, writers and artists need to practice revolutionary morality, increase their willingness of serving the people, maintain a humble attitude, develop a close attachment with public, and improve their professional skill and knowledge" (Ho Chi Minh Completed Works, Volume 10, page 647). Renovating the treatment policy targeting artists, writers and those working in the cultural sector and honouring their talents and dedication to the development of the country's culture. While working to improve cultural life at the grassroots level, it is necessary to focus on building and developing academic culture in order to nurture more great talents in various fields of culture and the arts, with the production of works which can reflect the country’s Renewal process while contributing to the building of Vietnamese culture and people.
Muong gong club.
Muong gong club.
Thirdly, paying more attention to the preservation, embellishment and promotion of national cultural values and tangible and intangible cultural values of regions and ethnic minorities, combined with the continued collection of the cultural quintessence of the times; developing the "soft strength" of Vietnamese culture while contributing to improving the national synergy in the coming time. Currently, our country has 166 museums, including four national museums, with more than three million artifacts; 3,486 total national-ranked relics, including 1,626 historical sites; 105 special national monuments; 288 national intangible cultural heritages (Hanoi alone has 21 festivals); and 27 tangible and intangible cultural heritages recognised by UNESCO as "world cultural heritages" (Bac Ninh Province alone has two world cultural heritages: Quan Ho (love duet singing) and Ca Tru (traditional ceremonial singing)). This is extremely valuable property left by the ancestors over thousands of years, which cannot be found elsewhere, to which we have a responsibility to preserve, appreciate and promote. If we don’t do that, we would be guilty about history, and would be repaying our ancestors and forefathers with ingratitude. Uncle Ho, before leaving, reminded us that ‘if you love your country, you must love folk songs’, (as the moving song “Uncle Ho’s words before leaving”, a famous composition of the late musician Tran Hoan).
Fourthly, focusing on building a culture of healthy behaviour in society, promoting positive values of fine customs and traditions of the family and society; upholding the spirit of mutual affection and the tradition of good solidarity; and respecting justice and social morality. Building codes of civilized behaviour in public agencies, in the community, especially in cyberspace, in the world of artists and writers.
Resolutely and persistently fighting against excessive bureaucracy, corruption, and negativity; fighting against degradation of political ideology, morality, lifestyle, "wiping out individualism", which is the source of all excessive bureaucracy, negativity and corruption even within the cultural sector and cultural agencies. Paying attention to the implementation of regulations that set an example for cadres and party members. Strictly implementing the Resolutions of the fourth plenums of the 11th-tenure and 12th-tenure Party Central Committee, especially the conclusions and decisions from the recent fourth plenum of the 13th Party Central Committee on building and rectifying the Party and political system.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Our National Cultural Conference today is an important occasion for the entire Party, people and army, especially people working in the field of culture, intellectuals, writers and artists of the whole country, to thoroughly, comprehensively and synchronously grasp Ho Chi Minh's thought and the lines, guidelines and viewpoints of our Party, especially the viewpoint of the 13th National Party Congress on building, preserving and promoting the unique values of an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity. Together, we have a deeper, more complete, and more comprehensive awareness of the particularly important role and position of culture in the cause of national construction and defence, as well as in realising the aspiration to develop a prosperous and happy country, worthy of the renovation cause and the glorious historical traditions of thousands of years of civilization.
I earnestly hope that our cultural work will be stronger and more effective after the conference, marking a new milestone on the path of Vietnam’s cultural development in the new period.
I believe that, as a country, a nation rich in patriotic and revolutionary traditions, that values civilisation and talents, the people are united, industrious and creative; a team of enthusiastic, talented intellectuals, writers and artists with high responsibility to the people, the Party, the Fatherland and the nation's future. Along with the drastic and synchronous participation of the whole political system, we will definitely overcome all difficulties and all challenges to revive and successfully build an advanced Vietnamese culture with national identity, continuing to give more glory to the nation, to the race, creating an incomparable strength to build our country to be more and more prosperous, and our people more and more happy, worthy of the thousand-year tradition of civilisation and heroism of a heroic nation, on a par with the great powers across the five continents. And only then can we say that our Conference today has practical significance and is a great success.
Wishing the Party and State leaders, delegates, comrades and all the compatriots good health, happiness, and success.
Thank you so much!
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