Hanoi (VNA) – ♔The 13th Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam on August 3 elected Politburo member and State President To Lam as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee with 100% of approval votes, demonstrating a high level of solidarity and unity in the Political Bureau and the Party Central Committee - the Party’s highest leadership agency between the two national congresses.

It was also the common desire and aspiration of the entire Vietnamese Party, people and army to continue and uphold the spirit of solidarity, work together to overcome difficulties and challenges to maintain and build upon the significant and comprehensive achievements that the country has made, and accomplish the goals set in the 13th National Party Congress’s Resolution. The over-90-year-history has proven that great national unity is an important basis and foundation to fully bring into play the brainpower, creativity, the will of self-reliance, self-help and national pride. It is also a great driving force in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland. Whenever the country faces difficulties and challenges, the spirit of patriotism, national pride, and the enormous power of the great national unity bloc is multiplied, steering the Vietnamese revolutionary ship through all obstacles and storms to reach the shores of glory. When he was still alive, President Ho Chi Minh once advised: "Unity, unity, great unity - Success, success, great success". Following his advice, our entire Party, people and army have always paid special attention to building and consolidating the great national unity bloc, closely linking domestic unity with international solidarity, combining the national strength with the strength of the era, considering this an extremely important foundation in the process of building, developing the country, and defending the Fatherland. It can be seen very clearly that promoting the strength of the great national unity bloc is a consistent and unified policy of our Party, directly reflected in the contents of many documents, resolutions, decisions, and directives through the terms of the Party. Throughout the historical stages of the country, the great national unity bloc has been increasingly consolidated, strengthened and promoted, creating the combined strength that leads the revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation to success. In the cause of national construction and development, our Party and State have issued various policies to gradually care for and improve the material and spiritual lives of the people, ensure social security, narrow the development gap among regions, areas, ethnic groups and religions, maintain socio-political stability, enhance social consensus, and consolidate the people's trust in the Party and State.

Amid the complex developments of the COVID-19 pandemic across the world, our Party and the entire political system, along with all compatriots at home and abroad, united and worked together to overcome and push back unprecedented difficulties and challenges. This spirit continues to be ignited by the decisive policies that the Party and State have put forth to gradually recover and develop the economy. In the second quarter of 2024, Vietnam's economy continued to flourish with gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 6.93% compared to the same period in 2023. In the first half of this year, the country's GDP expanded 6.42%.

After nearly four decades of implementing the Doi moi (renewal) process, the 13h National Party Congress’s Resolution affirms: "Our country has never had such fortune, potential, position and international prestige as it does today." Among these achievements, the cohesion, solidarity, and strength of the great national unity bloc hold paramount importance. Late Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong once repeatedly emphasised that these significant and historically meaningful achievements are the result of the tireless attempt of the entire political system, the united solidarity, joint efforts, and consensus of the entire Party, people, and army, embodying the spirit of: “Before call, behind support,” "One call, thousands responses," "Above and below are of one heart," and "Seamless cooperation.”

The Resolution of the 13th Party Central Committee's 8th meeting also specifies: “In the new development phase, it is necessary to continue promoting the tradition of great national unity, creating social consensus, strongly arousing the sprit of patriotism, the will of self-reliance, self-strengthening, national pride, trust, and aspiration for contribution, to successfully achieve the goal that by 2030, Vietnam will be a developing country with modern industry and upper-middle income; and by 2045, become a socialist-oriented developed, high-income country.”

The reality shows that all guidelines and policies of the Party and State stem from the needs, aspirations, and legitimate rights and interests of the people. They continuously tighten the close relationship with the people and identify the goal of the people's happiness and prosperity as the essence of the socialist regime, while promoting the spirit of dedication to the country of all Vietnamese people. In 1988, Vietnam was among the group of countries with the lowest per capita GDP in the world, with less than 100 USD per person. Since 2008, the figure has surpassed 1,000 USD. Between 2010 and 2023, the per capita GDP continuously increased, reaching 4,284 USD in 2023. This increase demonstrates the efforts of the entire political system towards ensuring that the people benefit from the growth achievements. Though hostile and reactionary forces, and political opportunists have used every insidious tactic in an attempt to divide the great national unity bloc and undermine the country from inside, even carrying out terrorist activities, Vietnamese people still have absolute trust in the Party's leadership. The recent disciplinary actions taken against Party members and organisations committing violations showed that the Party always treasures discipline and order to ensure its transparency and strength – the decisive factor for the stability and sustainable development of Vietnam. Unity is the roots of strength and a crucial factor deciding the success. Before his passing, President Ho Chi Minh underscored in his testament: “Unity is an extremely precious tradition of our Party and people. Comrades from the Party Central Committee to local Party cells must preserve the unity and unanimity of the Party as they would preserve the pupils of their eye.” Imbued with this advice, our entire Party, people, and army have continuously upheld and promoted the spirit of unity with tireless efforts and high determination, striving to maintain and further enhance the country's fortune, potential, prestige, and position, and successfully carry out the cause of industrialisation and modernisation, thereby helping our nation to firmly advance on the journey of rapid and sustainable development, and achieve the goals and tasks set out by the 13th National Party Congress’s Resolution./.