Opening speech of General Secretary To Lam at the 13th Central Executive Committee Conference, 13th tenure

TDear Comrades,Politburo, Secretariat member, Party Committee memberCentralParty,

DearDelegates attending the Conference.

Today, the 13th Party Central Committee opened its 13th Conference in a rising revolutionary spirit, with the people's trust increasingly consolidated as the entire Party, people and army celebrated the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day on September 2. Socio-economic indicators in the first 9 months were better than the same period in 2024 in most areas; the two-level local government model generally operated smoothly; public services continued to be improved in the direction of putting people and businesses at the center. Development space after the national master plan is supporting and resonating with each other; regional economies are taking shape more clearly, transforming into new competitive advantages. The seven strategic resolutions issued by the Politburo over the past year have been paving the way for practical and solid steps, serving the goal of maintaining peace, stability, rapid and sustainable development, improving people's real lives and realizing the two 100-year goals that our Party has set and that the people are expecting.

With courage, intelligence, initiative and creativity, we have basically restrained and resolved the pressure of complex political competition, responded promptly to the new trade policies of some major partners, to supply chain disruptions, trade conflicts, natural disasters, epidemics and sabotage activities of hostile forces... Our Party has "steadily steered the ship amid strong winds and waves", steadfastly moving forward, striving to achieve and exceed the goals set by the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress and other strategic goals set by the Party.

On behalf of the Politburo and the Secretariat, I warmly welcome the Central Committee members and invited delegates, acknowledge and appreciate your efforts and work results in the recent past; and wish you good health, happiness and success.

Dear comrades,

According to the Working Regulations of the Central Executive Committee, the Conference Organizing Committee has sent to you all the contents and working program for you to study and you have just unanimously approved the program and content of the 13th Central Conference.

I believe that, with the responsibility and awareness of Party members, Central Committee members will concentrate their spirit and intelligence to make practical contributions to the success of the Conference.

I would like to emphasize some key points among the Conference's contents as guidelines for comrades to study, consider, contribute opinions and exercise the rights of Party members and the responsibilities of Central Committee members at this Conference.

I- Group of issues on the preparation work for the 14th National Party Congress

1- Regarding Congress personnel work:

Pursuant to Conclusion No. 180 dated July 25, 2025 of the Party Central Committee on the direction of personnel work for the 14th Central Committee, the Notice of the Politburo and the Personnel Subcommittee on the orientation of introducing personnel to participate in the 14th Central Committee (official and alternate; re-election and first participation). By August 20, 2025, 100% of Party committees and organizations had introduced personnel for the 14th Central Committee and sent the results to the Personnel Subcommittee. Based on the results of personnel introductions by Party committees and organizations and the opinions of appraisal, examination, review, and additional conclusions of competent agencies, the Politburo discussed, comprehensively evaluated, agreed on the list, and proceeded to vote on personnel introductions according to regulations. At the same time, the Politburo also conducted a vote on personnel introductions for the 14th Central Inspection Committee (re-election and first participation).

At this Conference, the Politburo reported to the Central Committee for comments on the submission on the results and plan to introduce personnel to participate in the 14th Central Executive Committee, participate in the 14th Central Inspection Committee and conduct a vote to introduce personnel to the 14th Central Executive Committee and the 14th Central Inspection Committee according to regulations.

This is a "particularly important" and "key of the key" task, which is the decisive factor for the success of the 14th Party Congress and the country's development in the coming period. We recommend that when selecting and recommending personnel, comrades must base their selection on the standards, conditions, structure, and quantity according to the Personnel Work Direction of the 14th Party Congress and related regulations. We must put the interests of the Party, the nation, and the people first and foremost; balance and harmonize standards and structures; between inheritance, stability, and development; between universality and specificity; between training expertise and strengths, practical capacity; between prestige, work experience, and development direction; in which we especially emphasize the quality, efficiency, work products, and dedication of cadres as the basis and measure in selection. The core requirements in selecting personnel are: Quality - capacity - prestige - integrity - efficiency; Dare to think, dare to do, dare to take responsibility for the interests of the nation; be close to the people, respect the people, and serve the people; In the current new revolutionary period, great attention is paid to the factors of "Virtue-Strength-Talent". Absolutely do not let those who seek positions, seek power, opportunists, or factions into the Central Executive Committee. Regarding personnel, the Central Inspection Committee needs to select and introduce comrades who are brave, impartial, knowledgeable about the law, and proficient in their profession.clear as a mirror, sharp as a sword", is truly the sword that maintains Party discipline.

2- VyesDDraft documents of the 14th Congress:The draft documents of the 14th Congress have been carefully prepared, updated, revised and supplemented many times, especially the contents that were unanimously approved at the 11th Central Conference and the 12th Central Conference. The contents of the basic documents have met the requirements for submission to the 14th National Congress of the Party. Strive to develop documents for the 14th Congress that not only summarize the development journey of the past 5 years, identify goals and tasks for the next 5 years but also shape the strategic thinking, vision and development orientation of the country until the mid-21st century.

The Document Subcommittee has refined and supplemented the core contents of the 7 newly issued Politburo Resolutions into the Political Report and determined that, so far, there are 17 new points in the draft documents submitted to the 14th Congress. At this conference, we request that Central comrades and invited delegates continue to give their opinions to further perfect the draft documents because each time we give our opinions, we grow up and the documents are completed. The comrades focus on 5 contents:(1)Affirming the key role of Party building and rectification work, continuing to innovate the Party's leadership methods, improving the Party's governing capacity and fighting strength; Party building "is ethical and civilized" as Uncle Ho taught; work to prevent corruption, waste, negativity, individualism, group interests, ideological, moral and lifestyle degradation.(2)Issues such as theories on innovation policies; streamlining the state apparatus; improving the efficiency of local government operations at two levels; decentralization; environmental protection; strengthening national defense, security, foreign affairs, and international integration are regular and important tasks; solving State-Market-Society issues; Culture-people; education, training; healthcare... are also appropriately designed in the content of the Documents.(3)Establish a new growth model with science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation as the main driving force, identifying this as the central content of the country's development model; continue to perfect the model of a socialist-oriented market economy, under the leadership of the Party and with State management; more clearly define the leading role of the State economy; consider private economic development as the most important driving force of the economy. (4))Valuable lessons learned from 40 years of innovation.(5)In particular, comrades supplement content for orientation.Strategic autonomy,Innovation in development model, Effective accounting thinkingin national development.

The content of the Party Central Committee's Action Program has been designed by the Document Subcommittee according to the motto of closely following and specifying the goals, targets, guiding viewpoints, development orientations, key tasks, strategic breakthroughs, while ensuring consistency with the domestic and international situation. Those contents are concretized into tasks, projects, works, and projects with specific responsibilities, clear resources, progress, and necessary conditions for implementation... And must be "weighed-measured-calculated" during the implementation process. However, this is very new content, very close to reality, so we really need your comments.

II- On the group of economic and social issues:

Overall, the country's socio-economic picture in 2025 is dominated by bright colors. Although we are affected by many unfavorable variables of the world situation and natural disasters, storms and floods causing serious consequences, we still maintain stability and development. GDP in the third quarter of 2025 increased8.22%,overall increase in 9 months7.84%.Budget revenue for 9 months reached nearly2 quadrillionplain97.9%Estimated trade surplus is nearly reached17 billionUSD. Expected15/15The main targets for 2025 are all met and exceeded. The GDP growth rate in 2025 is forecast to reach8.1%arrive8.5%.This is a great effort and endeavor of the Party, Government, National Assembly, agencies in the political system, authorities at all levels, the business community and the entire people. However, there are still many internal issues in our economy that we must pay attention to and resolve for more sustainable growth and development.

2026 is the first year of the new term, which is very important for implementing the Resolution of the 14th Party Congress. The target to be achieved is very high, especially economic growth must reach over10%,GDP per capita reached5,400-5,500USD, CPI growth rate is about4.5%.This is a mandatory requirement, but also an extremely difficult problem. We propose that the Central Committee discuss and give opinions on major orientations for the National Assembly Party Committee and the Government Party Committee to lead the completion of the socio-economic development plan; the State budget estimate for 2026 and the coming period in the spirit of: Enhancing strategic autonomy, self-reliance, and self-reliance in national development with the motto "stability, discipline, acceleration, breakthrough, and sustainability".

I propose that comrades focus on discussing 6 key points: (1) Maintaining macroeconomic stability: Flexible fiscal and monetary management, coordinated and strengthened market confidence. (2) Promoting three growth drivers: Investment-consumption-export, creating new space from regional linkages and high-quality urbanization. (3) Digital transformation-green transformation: Turning data into resources, digital economy into engines; renewable energy, circular economy into sustainable tripod. (4) Improving productivity-quality-standards: Promoting science-technology, innovation in enterprises; raising value chains and localization. (5) Developing capital, labor, science-technology, and real estate markets in a safe-transparent-effective direction. (6) Strongly and resolutely implementing the program to develop 11 strategic technologies as stated in Resolution 57 to enhance autonomy in science and technology.

The remaining contents of the Conference program also need to be focused on and discussed carefully by comrades to make contributions in an objective, comprehensive, scientific, practical, specific and overall spirit.

Dear comrades,

The rising revolutionary spirit does not come from words or feelings, but from concrete results, from "each family's meal", from actions of "milk for the children, silk for the elderly". People are looking at us with new faith and expectations. The responsibility of the Central Committee is to turn expectations into reality, "turning policies into the flow of life".

With responsibility before the Party and the People, I request each Central Committee member to uphold the spirit of exemplary behavior, work effectively and practically, maintain discipline, "do not leave today's work for tomorrow", "practice what you say", "do what you say" and be determined to make the 13th Central Committee Conference a real success, creating momentum for the success of the 14th National Congress of the Party.

With firm belief and new spirit, I declare open the 13th Conference of the 13th Party Central Committee. I wish the Conference solidarity, wisdom, innovation and efficiency; and I wish you, comrades, good health, happiness and success.

Thank you very much, comrades!