Springtime for the nation and for humanity!

On his journey to find a way to save the nation, Nguyen Ai Quoc encountered socialism, both in theory and practice, right in the heart of capitalism. It was truly miraculous; he exclaimed, "This is the revolutionary path to national liberation!" He believed that the springtime of the nation and humanity would soon arrive.

At that historical moment, the patriot Nguyen Ai Quoc possessed a visionary perspective, finding the most correct path to liberate his nation and other oppressed peoples. He became a communist fighter and raised the banner to unite all domestic and international forces to follow the October Revolution and Marxism-Leninism, fighting for national independence and socialism.

That goal was applied by President Ho Chi Minh to the Vietnamese revolution, outlined in the "Brief Political Program" and the "Political Thesis" since the Party's founding. To date, through 13 congresses, steadfastly adhering to that goal, our Party has creatively formulated correct revolutionary guidelines for each period, leading the Vietnamese revolution from one victory to another. Gaining independence, defeating "two great imperial powers," and implementing the reform process have achieved tremendous successes, leading to the "foundation" we have today.

Despite its ups and downs, socialism is a law, a goal of social progress in line with the development trends of the times, and its enemies have always tried to eliminate it but have failed. When the Soviet Union and the socialist bloc collapsed, the West gleefully declared: "This is the inevitable collapse of socialism." They knew that it was only the collapse of a model, and that the movement of real socialism was not outside the diverse laws of development between continuity and discontinuity, between straight lines and curves, between progress and regression, between gradual and leapfrog stages in human history. Scientific socialism is a human invention, so it must be explored and innovated to be perfected. The model of socialism in the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries was not true scientific socialism, and therefore it failed.

Faced with this situation, and by promptly "facing the truth" with scientific and practical thinking, the remaining socialist countries such as China, Vietnam, Cuba, Laos, etc., with over 1.5 billion people, have found a path of innovation and reform that is in line with the trend and nature of socialism, which is "liberating humanity through social revolutions, with the intellectual capacity of humankind and aiming to ensure a quality of life that is free and happy." This is the genuine path that Marxism-Leninism has outlined.

Although real socialism may temporarily decline and suffer losses, it does not mean it is doomed. Even as the weather changes, spring still comes. The communist ideal and scientific socialism continue on their path of development. The world is changing, new things are constantly emerging, and new problems are constantly being raised. At this time, we must remember the words of V. Lenin: “We do not consider Marxist theory of socialism as something already finished; on the contrary, we must understand that it only lays the foundation for the scientific development of human history, and socialism is an invention that needs to be perfected…”

Accordingly, reform and innovation must place socialism within the context of continuous transformation and modernization; it must involve careful consideration, exploration, and selection of a suitable path to socialism. The strength and future of socialism in general, and of each socialist country in particular, depend on the reform and innovation process; on the one hand, it must overcome the shortcomings and failures encountered, and on the other hand, it must uphold principles and base its approach on the practical realities of its "starting point," linked to cultural, national, and social traditions, in order to inherit and develop them.

All good intentions have not been, and will not be, realized in practice if the path to socialism lacks a scientifically substantiated theoretical foundation and an effective implementation program. The mistake made during the "reforms" in the Soviet Union, leaving a profound lesson, was that in the process of development, while striving to perfect socialism, it abandoned the fundamental principles of Marxism-Leninism, deeming them outdated. Within the specific framework, conditions, and historical stages, each country's renewal and reform should be carried out in ways consistent with the spirit of independence, self-reliance, and scientific creativity, but must respect the general laws and the inherent goodness of socialism. The path to socialism is the path each nation chooses to achieve independence, freedom, and social progress. However, socialism is not merely an ideal or the private property of a class or a nation; it is the goal of a revolution to liberate humanity.

Throughout history, each nation has pursued socialism along its own path, but it cannot remain isolated, nor can it be radicalized. Instead, it must view socialism as the pinnacle of humanity, requiring proactive cooperation, mutual assistance, and respect. International integration across all fields should be promoted among nations and regimes. It would be a mistake not to exchange ideas, cooperate, and share experiences to promote common values ​​and avoid unnecessary losses. This is the crucial issue facing countries advancing towards socialism, not only domestically but also globally.

In today's era, it is necessary to fully understand the importance of multilateral and diverse international relations and cooperation, for the long-term benefit of each nation and of the superior socialist system.
In the spring of 2021, the 13th National Congress of the Party affirmed the guiding principle in the process of continuing to perfect the reform: “Firmly and continue to apply and creatively develop Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought; firmly adhere to the goal of national independence and socialism; firmly adhere to the Party's reform line; firmly adhere to the principles of Party building to build and firmly defend the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland.”

In that spirit, the Party has set the goal of national development by 2025, 2030, and 2045 to transform Vietnam into a developed socialist country with high income.

To achieve this, the entire Party and people must strongly leverage their combined strength, patriotism, national spirit, socialist democracy, cultural values, and the essence of the era to overcome all difficulties and challenges, focus on handling the Covid-19 pandemic with appropriate thinking in the new normal, and anticipate the post-pandemic period, in order to continue the country's rapid and sustainable development and create new miracles.

Striving for a prosperous and happy Vietnam, "standing shoulder to shoulder with the great powers of the five continents" on the path of building socialism, bringing a beautiful spring to the nation in the historical process towards the spring of humanity as desired by President Ho Chi Minh.