The handover ceremony between General Secretary and President To Lam and former President Luong Cuong.
On the afternoon of April 9th, at the Presidential Palace, the Office of the President solemnly held the handover ceremony of the President's duties between General Secretary and President To Lam and former President Luong Cuong.
Also attending were members of the Politburo, members of the Secretariat, members of the Central Committee of the Party, and leaders of central departments, ministries, and agencies.
At the conference, the Head of the Office of the President, Le Khanh Hai, presented a summary of the President's work during the term of Luong Cuong as President. General Secretary and President To Lam and former President Luong Cuong signed the handover minutes for the President's duties.
At the handover ceremony, former President Luong Cuong shared that over more than 50 years, having held many positions and been assigned many tasks, having been trained and tested in combat, and having matured from a soldier to a key leader of the Party and State, no matter what task or position he was assigned, he always strived his best to successfully complete all assigned tasks.
"In particular, having been entrusted and elected by the National Assembly to the position of President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam during a very special period, I am very aware of the great honor and responsibility before the Party, the State, and the people; I will always strive to do my utmost to seriously fulfill my oath and inaugural address before the National Assembly, the people, comrades, and voters nationwide; and I will always strive to fulfill the duties of President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam as stipulated in the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam," the former President emphasized.
The former President respectfully thanked the Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat, General Secretary and President To Lam; the leaders and former leaders of the Party, State, and Vietnam Fatherland Front; all levels, sectors, agencies, and organizations at the central and local levels; officials, civil servants, and employees of the Office of the President; the people, comrades, and voters nationwide, our compatriots abroad, and international friends for their support, assistance, and for creating favorable conditions for him to successfully fulfill his assigned duties.
In the new era of development for the Vietnamese nation, the former President expressed his hope and belief that, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam, headed by General Secretary and President To Lam, the entire Party, people, and army will continue to maintain high levels of unity and solidarity, working together wholeheartedly, seizing every opportunity, overcoming all difficulties and challenges, strongly promoting the will and spirit of self-confidence, self-reliance, self-strength, national pride, constantly innovating, and acting decisively to successfully realize the building of a peaceful, independent, democratic, prosperous, civilized, and happy Vietnam; and that our people will increasingly enjoy a life of abundance, freedom, and happiness.
Returning to the Presidential Palace – the historical and sacred building where beloved President Ho Chi Minh once lived and worked – with deep emotion, General Secretary and President To Lam expressed his honor at being elected President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam by the National Assembly at its first session of the 16th National Assembly. He also affirmed that his oath of office before the National Assembly, the people, and voters nationwide is a personal honor and a political responsibility, pledging absolute loyalty to the Fatherland, the people, and the Constitution, and vowing to wholeheartedly serve the country and the people.
General Secretary and President To Lam stated that during today's handover ceremony, he has become even more deeply aware of the important responsibilities entrusted by the Party, the State, and the people; and at the same time, he is clearly conscious of the need to worthily continue the glorious revolutionary path chosen by the Party and President Ho Chi Minh, and the great achievements that our predecessors and generations of leaders have sacrificed, contributed, and painstakingly built.
The General Secretary and President respectfully acknowledge and highly appreciate the important contributions of Comrade Luong Cuong during his tenure as President, in which he excellently fulfilled his duties in accordance with the Constitution and laws, as well as the tasks assigned by the Politburo and the Central Committee of the Party; leaving many profound imprints in domestic and foreign affairs and in building the legal and political systems, contributing together with the entire Party, army, and people to successfully implement the Resolution of the 13th National Congress of the Party, leading the country to steadily advance into a new stage of development.
In a period of rapid and complex developments in the world and the region, and domestically, new circumstances have presented many new demands and tasks, requiring strategic breakthroughs and qualitative and quantitative changes to ensure the maintenance of peace and stability, uphold socio-economic development goals, and guarantee the people's livelihoods...
In fulfilling his responsibilities, Comrade Luong Cuong, together with the Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat, the Government, the National Assembly, and the judicial agencies, focused on leading, directing, and organizing the comprehensive and synchronized implementation of assigned tasks, demonstrating innovation, flexibility, and sensitivity.
General Secretary and President To Lam affirmed that during his tenure as President, Comrade Luong Cuong upheld the qualities of "Uncle Ho's soldiers," always maintaining political steadfastness, absolute loyalty to the Party, the Fatherland, and the people; preserving pure revolutionary ethics, impartiality, dedication, and commitment; contributing to consolidating unity within the Party, as well as the great national unity; ensuring the smooth, effective, and efficient operation of the State apparatus; and making many important and practical contributions to institutional building, judicial reform, amnesty, commutation of death sentences, as well as in domestic and foreign affairs, national defense and security, and handling strategic and fundamental issues within the President's authority.
The General Secretary and President also acknowledged and highly appreciated the proactive, responsible, thorough, and timely preparation of the Office of the President and related agencies in advising and serving to ensure that the handover process took place seriously and promptly, demonstrating a high sense of responsibility, professionalism, and administrative discipline.
Pointing out that our country is entering a new era of development with many intertwined opportunities and challenges, the General Secretary and President stated that the greatest resource of the country is the intellect, labor, and creativity of the people.
The State must create mechanisms, policies, and incentives so that all strata of the population and all economic entities can proactively contribute and create value; it is necessary to promote the superiority of the political system, enhance the adaptability of the economy and the effectiveness of the national governance system, so that the country remains stable in the face of all changes.
The General Secretary and President affirmed that the tasks set forth are to continue maintaining political stability; building a modern socialist rule of law state; accelerating judicial reform; developing the economy rapidly and sustainably; ensuring national defense and security; enhancing the country's international standing; and taking better care of the people's lives.
The General Secretary and President requested that the Office of the President continue to improve the quality of its advisory work; uphold standards, accuracy, discipline, and order in its work; continue to build a united, sincere, humane, and professional team; promote the application of science and technology, digital transformation, and modernization of working methods; and focus on building a team of cadres who are both politically sound and professionally competent, possessing strong political acumen, impeccable public service ethics, excellent professional competence, and a standard, humble, and dedicated demeanor.
Having fully accepted the assigned tasks, General Secretary and President To Lam pledged, together with the Central Committee of the Party, the Politburo, the Secretariat, and other Party and State leaders, to uphold traditions, build upon achievements, maintain unity and cohesion, and strive to successfully achieve the set goals and tasks, harmoniously manage the relationships of interests in development, protect the honor and prestige of the country, and present Vietnam's image to the world with a proactive, capable, and responsible stance.
The General Secretary and President expressed his hope to continue receiving close cooperation from the National Assembly, the Government, ministries, departments, and localities; the support of the people and soldiers nationwide and Vietnamese expatriates abroad, especially the companionship of officials, civil servants, and employees of the Office of the President, who will directly assist the General Secretary and President in fulfilling the duties and powers stipulated by the Constitution and laws on behalf of the State.