General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong launched the Tet tree planting festival to commemorate Uncle Ho.

General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong attended the launching ceremony of the Tree Planting Festival, Forever Grateful to Uncle Ho. Photo: Duy Chien

Also attending were: Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Party Central Committee's Internal Affairs Commission Phan Dinh Trac; Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Party Central Committee's Office Nguyen Van Nen; Party Central Committee member, Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung; Party Central Committee members, leaders of central departments, ministries, branches, and committees of the National Assembly; more than 1,300 officials and civil servants of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, officials, armed forces, and units in Yen Bai province.

Speaking at the launching ceremony, General Secretary and President Nguyen Phu Trong expressed his delight at attending the launching ceremony of "Tet tree planting to forever remember Uncle Ho" organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development in coordination with Yen Bai province in Yen Bai - a land rich in historical, cultural and revolutionary traditions.

The General Secretary and President recalled: Nearly 60 years ago, on November 28, 1959, with a strategic vision, beloved President Ho Chi Minh wrote an article posted onPeople's Newspaperwith the title "Tet planting trees", analyzing the great significance and practical benefits of planting trees and afforestation for the country, family and each citizen. He pointed out: "This work costs little but has many benefits"; "It is also a long-term but gentle competition that everyone, from the elderly to children, can enthusiastically participate in". At the end of the year of Ky Hoi (1959), He called on all people to respond to a month of planting trees, called "Tet planting trees"; advised people to persistently maintain "Tet planting trees".

Responding to Uncle Ho's call, all of our people held the first Tree Planting Festival on the occasion of the Lunar New Year of Canh Ty (1960). Since then, the Tree Planting Festival following Uncle Ho's words has truly brought great benefits to the country and has become a good custom of our people during the New Year and Spring. Tree planting and afforestation have made an important contribution to proactively preventing and combating natural disasters, regulating the climate, improving the ecological environment, beautifying the natural landscape, developing the country's socio-economy, and improving the material and spiritual life of the people.

The General Secretary and President stated that our country is in the process of industrialization and urbanization. Every year, the country must set aside a significant area for industrial and urban development. Along with this process, environmental quality is also increasingly declining to an alarming level. The effects of environmental pollution, climate change, global warming and rising sea levels are among the greatest environmental challenges facing humanity in the 21st century.

In recent years, natural disasters and extreme climate events have been increasing in many parts of the world, including Vietnam, leaving very serious consequences. Socio-economic development coupled with environmental protection, economical and efficient use of resources has become a mainstream trend, a vital requirement for every nation.

In that context, we are more deeply imbued with Uncle Ho's instructions, and we see more deeply the necessity and great significance of planting trees and afforestation. Planting more trees will help overcome devastation and indiscriminate exploitation of forests, prevent erosion, and limit floods; planting more trees will help create a great potential for material wealth for the lives of each family and society. For cities and industrial centers, planting more trees also helps limit environmental pollution and keep the air clean. "Clearly, this is an extremely necessary task," the General Secretary and President emphasized.

On this occasion, the General Secretary and President called on the entire Party, the entire people and the entire army, all levels, sectors, localities, all compatriots and comrades to enthusiastically participate in planting trees and afforestation; everyone plants trees, every household plants trees, each tree planted must be good; at the same time, it is necessary to raise awareness and have effective measures to protect forests, prevent deforestation, forest burning, and illegal forest exploitation; increase investment, apply science and technology, create support mechanisms, and encourage sustainable forest economic development.

The General Secretary and President believes that this year, with a new spirit and determination, the "Tet tree planting festival forever grateful to Uncle Ho" Spring Ky Hoi - 2019 will achieve many good results, adding more color to the Vietnamese land to be forever green, forever sustainable as Uncle Ho's sacred wish: "Spring is the Tet tree planting/Making the country more and more Spring".