Full text of the opening speech of the 13th Central Conference by General Secretary To Lam

(Dan Tri) - "Our Party has firmly steered the ship amidst strong winds and waves, steadfastly moving forward, striving to achieve and surpass the goals set forth in the Resolution of the 13th Party Congress," General Secretary To Lam emphasized.

On the morning of October 6, the 13th Conference of the 13th Party Central Committee opened in Hanoi . General Secretary To Lam chaired and delivered the opening speech.

Dan Tri Newspaper respectfully publishes the full text of the opening speech of the 13th Central Conference by General Secretary To Lam .                                     

Dear Politburo members, Secretariat members, and Party Central Committee members,

Dear Conference Delegates,

Today, the 13th Party Central Committee opened its 13th Conference in a rising revolutionary spirit, with the people's trust increasingly consolidated as our entire Party, people and army celebrated the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day, September 2.

Socio-economic indicators in the first 9 months are better than the same period in 2024 in most areas; the two-level local government model generally operates smoothly; public services continue 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 economy is 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.

Delegates vote to approve the agenda of the 13th Central Conference (Photo: Gia Han).

With courage, intelligence, initiative and creativity, we have basically restrained and resolved the pressure of complex political competition, responded promptly to 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 boat amid strong winds and storms", steadfastly moving forward, striving to achieve and surpass 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 of the Party Central Committee on the direction of personnel work of the 14th Central Committee, the Notice of the Politburo and the Personnel Subcommittee on the direction of introducing personnel to participate in the 14th Central Committee (official and alternate; re-election and first participation).

General Secretary To Lam delivered the opening speech at the 13th Central Conference (Photo: Hong Phong).

By August 20, 100% of Party committees and organizations had introduced personnel for the 14th Central Executive Committee and sent the results to the Personnel Subcommittee.

Based on the results of personnel introductions from Party committees and organizations at all levels and the opinions of appraisal, examination, review and additional conclusions from 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 proceeded to vote on personnel introductions for the 14th Central Inspection Commission (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 keys" task, the decisive factor for the success of the 14th National 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.

The interests of the Party, the nation, and the people must be put first and foremost; there must be a balance and harmony between standards and structure; between inheritance, stability, and development; between universality and specificity; between training expertise and strengths and practical capacity; between prestige, work experience, and development direction; in which the quality, efficiency, work products, and dedication of cadres must be especially emphasized as the basis and measure in selection. The core requirements in personnel selection are: qualities - capacity - prestige - integrity - efficiency; dare to think, dare to do, dare to take responsibility for the interests of the nation and people; close to the people, respect the people, and serve the people.

In the current new revolutionary stage, great attention is paid to the factors of “Virtue - Strength - Talent”. Absolutely do not allow opportunists, factionalists, and those who seek positions or power to enter the Central Executive Committee.

For the Central Inspection Committee's personnel, it is necessary to select and introduce comrades who are courageous, impartial, knowledgeable about the law, proficient in their profession, "clear as a mirror, sharp as a sword", and truly a precious sword to maintain Party discipline.

2- Regarding the Draft documents of the 14th Congress:

The draft documents of the 14th National Congress have been carefully and meticulously prepared, updated, revised and supplemented many times, especially the contents that were unanimously approved at the 11th and 12th Central Conferences.

The contents of the basic documents have met the requirements for submission to the 14th National Congress of the Party. Strive to develop documents to submit to 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 strategic thinking, vision and development orientation of the country until the mid-21st century.

Delegates attending the 13th Central Conference (Photo: Gia Han).

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 improve the draft documents because each time we give our opinions, we grow up and the documents are completed.

The comrades focused on five contents: (i) 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 morality and civilization" as Uncle Ho taught; work to prevent corruption, waste, negativity, individualism, group interests, ideological, moral and lifestyle degradation.

(ii) Issues such as theories on innovation policies; streamlining the state apparatus; improving the operational efficiency of two-level local governments; decentralization; environmental protection; strengthening national defense, security, foreign affairs, and international integration are regular and important tasks; solving the issues of State - Market - Society; Culture - People; education, training; health... are also appropriately designed in the content of the Documents.

(iii) 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.

( iv) Valuable lessons learned from 40 years of innovation.

(v) In particular, comrades supplemented the content for the orientation of Strategic Autonomy , Innovation in development model, and Effective accounting thinking in 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, and 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 - counted" during the implementation process. However, this is very new content, very close to reality, so we really need your comments.

The General Secretary emphasized many key contents of the 13th Central Conference (Photo: Gia Han).

II- On socio-economic 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 increased by 8.22%, and in the first 9 months it increased by 7.84%. Budget revenue in the first 9 months reached nearly 2,000 billion VND, equal to 97.9% of the estimate, trade surplus reached nearly 17 billion USD. It is expected that 15/15 main targets of 2025 will be achieved and exceeded. GDP growth rate in 2025 is forecast to reach 8.1% to 8.5%.

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, but 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 National Party Congress.

The target to be achieved is very high, especially economic growth must reach over 10%, GDP per capita must reach 5,400-5,500 USD, CPI growth rate must be about 4.5%. This is a mandatory requirement, but also a very difficult problem.

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; 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 their discussion on 6 key points: (1) Maintaining macroeconomic stability: flexible fiscal and monetary management, smooth coordination, and strengthening market confidence.

(2) Promote three growth drivers: investment - consumption - export, create 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) Improve productivity - quality - standards: promote science and technology, innovation in enterprises; improve value chain and localization.

(5) Developing capital, labor, science-technology, and real estate markets in a safe, transparent, and effective manner.

(6) Strongly and resolutely implement 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.

Panorama of the 13th Central Conference (Photo: Hong Phong).

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!

General Secretary To Lam

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/thoi-su/toan-van-phat-bieu-khai-mac-hoi-nghi-trung-uong-13-cua-tong-bi-thu-to-lam-20251006103134014.htm