The 11th National Congress of Patriotic Emulation was solemnly inaugurated.

Attending the Congress were General Secretary To Lam; former General Secretary Nong Duc Manh; President Luong Cuong; Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Chairman of the Central Emulation and Commendation Council; former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung; Standing Member of the Party Central Committee Tran Cam Tu; Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Chairman of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Vice Chairman of the Central Emulation and Commendation Council Bui Thi Minh Hoai; leaders and former leaders of the Party, State, and Vietnam Fatherland Front; and 2,025 delegates who are the most outstanding exemplary individuals in patriotic emulation movements from all over the country.

The delegation from Nghe An province attending the Congress included Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Khac Than; Deputy Provincial Party Secretary and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Vo Trong Hai; Standing Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council Nguyen Nam Dinh; Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Thai Van Thanh, along with other official delegates.

The delegation from Nghe An province attending the Congress consisted of 35 delegates. These included 1 representative of a collective awarded the title of Hero of Labor, 2 National Emulation Fighters, 1 exemplary individual with meritorious service, 1 exemplary individual implementing Directive 05, 1 representative of an exemplary advanced collective, 3 exemplary workers, 3 exemplary farmers, and 21 exemplary individuals.

The 11th National Congress of Emulation and Patriotic Movements was held with the theme: "Emulating innovation, creativity, and accelerating breakthroughs to bring the country into an era of powerful, civilized, and prosperous development."

In his opening remarks at the Congress, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, Chairman of the Central Emulation and Commendation Council, affirmed that the spirit of patriotic emulation has crystallized into a precious tradition, a unique cultural beauty, and a great inherent strength of the Vietnamese nation.

The rallying cry to the nation: "Competition is patriotism, and patriotism requires competition. Those who compete are the most patriotic" has become a source of strength, uniting the will and igniting patriotism in the entire Party, the entire people, and the entire army.

The Prime Minister noted that over the past five years, our country has faced countless difficulties and challenges, which were not only temporary but also historic moments.

"The positive results from the emulation movements in the past period have affirmed that emulation has deeply permeated everyone, every household, every sector, and every field, creating motivation, inspiring, spreading confidence, and encouraging the entire nation to actively work, create, and contribute," the Prime Minister emphasized.

Taking place at a time when the country is entering a new era, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated that the 11th National Congress of Patriotic Emulation has a very important task, not only to evaluate and summarize the patriotic emulation movement and commendation work over the past five years; but also to set forth directions and breakthrough tasks for the patriotic emulation movement in the next phase.

Over the past five years, under the leadership and guidance of the Party, the State, and the Central Emulation and Commendation Council, with the theme "Unity, creativity, and emulation in building and defending the Fatherland," patriotic emulation movements have developed extensively, with many innovations in content, form, and organizational methods, bringing practical results in all fields.

This creates strong motivation and encourages all sectors of the population to enthusiastically compete and successfully achieve the goals and tasks of socio-economic development, ensuring national defense and security, expanding foreign relations, and promoting the strength of national unity; making important contributions to the great and historically significant achievements of the country in 40 years of implementing the reform process.

The Party's policies on emulation and commendation have been issued promptly, and the work of building institutions and perfecting legal regulations on emulation and commendation continues to be focused on, especially the Law on Emulation and Commendation of 2022 and the decrees detailing its implementation, creating an increasingly complete legal basis to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of state management of emulation and commendation.

The Central Council for Emulation and Commendation and its Standing Committee have effectively implemented key tasks according to the set directions and plans. The Standing Committee and its members have demonstrated a high sense of responsibility and proactiveness in advising, proposing, and organizing the implementation of their work.

The emulation movement is becoming increasingly practical, effective, and innovative, gradually overcoming its formalistic nature. The emulation movements launched by the Prime Minister continue to be implemented effectively and in depth, creating significant changes in the implementation of breakthrough strategies, political tasks, and socio-economic development goals and objectives in accordance with the spirit of the Party's 13th National Congress Resolution.

The work of publicizing, commending, and replicating advanced models has seen significant improvements; there is closer coordination between the emulation and reward agencies and media agencies in introducing and publicizing advanced models.

Commemorative activities for major national events and holidays, including the anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's call for patriotic emulation, and conferences and ceremonies honoring outstanding individuals, were effectively and practically organized by all levels, sectors, units, and localities, creating a vibrant atmosphere of emulation and contributing to the fulfillment of the country's economic and social development tasks.

The awarding of commendations has been carried out in accordance with regulations, the quality of commendations has improved, and timely recognition has served to motivate, encourage, and inspire organizations and individuals with outstanding achievements.

Patriotic emulation must be strong, genuine, widespread, and sustainable.

Delivering a keynote address at the Congress, General Secretary To Lam emphasized that today's Congress is an opportunity to honor the most beautiful flowers in the garden of patriotic emulation.

What is admirable about these exemplary individuals is not only their achievements and determination to overcome difficulties, but also the qualities that contribute to those achievements: honesty, dedication, responsibility, discipline, creativity, community spirit, prioritizing the common good over personal gain, valuing honor as something sacred and noble, and using work efficiency as a measure of labor quality.

Emphasizing that the country is entering a new stage of development with intertwined opportunities and challenges, General Secretary To Lam stated that a strong, substantive, widespread, and sustained patriotic emulation movement is required.

In this new revolutionary phase, patriotic emulation must become a dynamic ecosystem so that all correct policies are transformed into practical actions; political tasks are transformed into a sense of responsibility, specific work, and clear goals, so that all citizens see themselves as subjects of development, builders of the future, and beneficiaries of the fruits of creative labor.

General Secretary To Lam proposed that the patriotic emulation movement in the new phase focus on nine major orientations. These include emulation closely adhering to political tasks linked to specific goals, using results that serve the people as a measure of success. Each movement must have clear actions, measurable criteria, verifiable products, and be thorough and reliable at every step, with clear results.

The emulation movement should focus on innovation, scientific and technological development, and digital transformation. This emulation must be directed towards improving productivity, enhancing governance quality, and developing the digital economy, digital society, and digital government. It should also aim to build a professional, honest, and modern administration, emphasizing discipline, order, and exemplary responsibility.

The emulation movement should focus on developing culture, education, healthcare, and social welfare, improving the quality of life, and building the Vietnamese people of the new era. This emulation must make society more humane, more compassionate, and better care for those who have contributed to the nation and the vulnerable.

The emulation movement should focus on developing a healthy and efficient private economy, improving the quality of businesses and national competitiveness. Simultaneously, this emulation must be linked to green transformation and sustainable development, energy conservation, efficient resource utilization, emission reduction, environmental protection, circular economy development, and a civilized and responsible lifestyle.

Emulation campaigns must focus on the grassroots, paying attention to remote areas, border regions, and islands, and valuing direct laborers and frontline forces. Emulation campaigns must reach every individual, family, village, neighborhood, industrial zone, school, and hospital so that everyone has a goal to strive for, a desire to contribute, and can achieve success through the emulation process.

The emulation movement aims to strengthen national defense and security, maintain political stability and social order, firmly protect independence, sovereignty, unity, and territorial integrity; and proactively respond to non-traditional security challenges. Each locality, each force, and each sector must compete to build a solid defense posture from the grassroots level, ensuring peace for the people to promote development.

Patriotic emulation must truly make us more compassionate, more responsible, more willing to share with the vulnerable, more supportive of each other in times of difficulty, and more civilized, polite, and tolerant in our behavior, so that good people are empowered and kindness is multiplied.

General Secretary To Lam expressed his hope that the exemplary delegates honored today would continue to maintain their enthusiasm, continue to be a driving force for innovation, and that each of us should set a goal for ourselves in emulation: to study better, work better, be more disciplined, more creative, more enthusiastic, and more responsible. When each individual improves and each organization strengthens, the entire country and nation will progress.

On behalf of the Central Emulation and Commendation Council, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh launched the patriotic emulation movement for the period 2026-2030 with the theme: "Emulating innovation, accelerating progress, breaking through, and bringing the country into an era of prosperous, civilized, and happy development."

With the determination to transform slogans into practical and effective actions; to turn emulation into a widespread and pervasive movement; and to transform today's achievements into the driving force and foundation for contributing to and building the future of the country, we will promote the spirit of "everyone competing, every sector competing, every day competing".

"I call upon all compatriots, comrades, soldiers throughout the country, our compatriots abroad, every Vietnamese citizen, regardless of their position, profession, location, or occupation, to continue striving, actively competing, upholding aspirations, dedicating themselves wholeheartedly, working together, and resolutely moving the country forward rapidly, strongly, and steadily in the era of independence, freedom, prosperity, happiness, and socialism," Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated.