We cannot rewrite history, but we can reshape the future.

Screenshot 2025-04-30 at 08.01.16.png

The moment the liberation flag flew over the roof of the Independence Palace at noon on April 30, 1975 went down in national history as a momentous event - the day the South was completely liberated, the country was unified, and the country was reunited.

It was not only a great victory of the Vietnamese people in the difficult and arduous resistance war against the US to save the country, but also a shining symbol of revolutionary heroism, of the will for independence, self-reliance and the strength of great national unity.

The aspiration for a peaceful, unified, independent and free Vietnam is the sacred flame that has fueled the national spirit throughout thousands of years of history. From the time King Hung founded the country until today, through many resistance wars against foreign invaders to preserve the country and its borders, patriotism and national spirit have always been the red thread running through history.

Under the leadership of the Party and Uncle Ho, that aspiration has always been an incomparable spiritual strength, urging all classes of people, all as one, to join hands, unite, overcome all hardships and challenges to regain independence in 1945, expel the colonialists in 1954 and unify the country in 1975.

The victory on April 30, 1975 not only marked the end of the longest and most fierce war in modern Vietnamese history, but also marked a brilliant milestone in the nation's journey of building and defending the country. It was a victory of faith, of the desire for independence, freedom and national unification; a victory of the strength of great national unity under the wise leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam; a victory of the truth "Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom" and of the passionate patriotism, the fighting will and indomitability of the Vietnamese people, of progressive forces and peace-loving people around the world.

The victory of April 30, 1975 was the result of the Vietnamese people's iron determination for a unified country that cannot be divided by any force. President Ho Chi Minh - the genius leader of the nation - affirmed the immortal truth: "Vietnam is one, the Vietnamese people are one. Rivers may dry up, mountains may erode, but that truth will never change ."

Uncle Ho's words were not only a sacred declaration of sovereignty and territorial integrity, but also a torch to light the way, a source of inspiration, and a source of strength for every generation of Vietnamese people throughout the arduous and fierce years of war. The victory of April 30, 1975 is a living testament to the philosophy of the era: "Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom."

Not only a military victory, the victory of April 30, 1975 was also the crystallization of intelligence, bravery and a strong desire for lasting peace, for the right to self-determination of a nation that had been occupied, divided and oppressed. As General Secretary Le Duan said, "That victory did not belong to any one person, but to the entire Vietnamese people." And as poet To Huu once wrote, "No pain belongs to any one person/ This victory belongs to all humanity."

The great victory in the spring of 1975 also left a strong mark on the international arena, deeply encouraging the national liberation movement in many regions of Asia, Africa, and Latin America; encouraging people to stand up against neo-colonialism and regain freedom and independence.

It is the victory of justice over tyranny, an affirmation to the international community that: a nation, no matter how small, if it has justice, solidarity and a strong will, with the support and pure help of international friends, of progressive forces and of peace-loving people in the world, will certainly defeat forces many times stronger.

During the 30-year long resistance war against colonialism and imperialism (1945-1975), the Vietnamese people had to face countless hardships, sacrifices, and losses, but never once did the will for an independent and unified Vietnam waver.

In his appeal on the occasion of National Day September 2, 1955, Uncle Ho affirmed: “Vietnam will definitely be unified, because our country is one block, no one can divide it”. In his letter to the people of the whole country in 1956, Uncle Ho wrote: “Unifying the country is the way of life for our people”. When the war was at its most fierce and fierce stage, on July 17, 1966, he firmly declared: “The war may last 5 years, 10 years, 20 years or longer. Hanoi, Hai Phong and some cities and enterprises may be destroyed. But the Vietnamese people are determined not to be afraid! Nothing is more precious than independence and freedom. When the day of victory comes, our people will rebuild our country to be more dignified and beautiful”.

And indeed, under the leadership of President Ho Chi Minh and our Party, the Vietnamese army and people overcame countless difficulties, gradually defeating modern war strategies, with a strong belief in the power of justice and the spirit of national independence.

President Ho Chi Minh's declaration "Vietnam is one, the Vietnamese people are one" is not only a truth, a strategic orientation, but also a command from the heart of the entire nation. In the midst of the war, that saying became a source of great strength, a strong inspiration, motivating millions of Vietnamese people to step onto the battlefield with the will to "die for the Fatherland". Uncle Ho's words are a sacred call, a symbol of determination to overcome all pain and hardship, to gain independence and freedom for the nation, unification for the country and happiness and prosperity for the people.

During more than 30 years of resistance and national construction, millions of the nation's outstanding children fought bravely and sacrificed their lives. Countless families lost loved ones, villages and cities were destroyed, and generations of young people had to temporarily put aside their dreams of studying and their future ambitions to set out to defend the Fatherland with the oath "we will not return until the enemy is gone."

Mothers saw their children off, wives saw their husbands off to war without a return date. Children grew up amidst rain of bombs and bullets, learned to read and write in the basement, and ate corn, potatoes, and cassava instead of rice. Countless soldiers, youth volunteers, and frontline laborers fell on the S-shaped strip of land of the Fatherland. Special forces soldiers fighting in the heart of the enemy, militiamen and guerrillas in the swamps and villages, liberation soldiers crossing Ben Hai and Truong Son... all carried within them a strong belief: the Vietnamese people would regain control of their country, and the North and the South would definitely be reunited.

The victory of April 30, 1975 is the crystallization of the ideals and steely will of a nation that will never be subdued, of the blood and bones of millions of Vietnamese people, of love for the homeland and country, of bravery, belief in victory and determination to never retreat.

Half a century has passed since the country was reunited, but the sounds of the triumphal song still resonate in the soul of the Vietnamese people. On the occasion of this important event, we respectfully pay tribute to our beloved President Ho Chi Minh, the genius leader of our Party and people, the great teacher of the Vietnamese revolution, the national liberation hero, the world cultural celebrity, the outstanding soldier of the international communist movement, who laid the ideological foundation for the cause of national liberation and reunification. We pay tribute to and remember the Party's predecessors, the heroic martyrs, intellectuals, people and soldiers across the country who fought and sacrificed their lives for that noble ideal. The Vietnamese generations today and tomorrow will forever remember his great contributions and sacrifices for the independence of the Fatherland, for the happiness and prosperity of the people, and for the survival and development of the nation.

We express our deep gratitude to international friends - progressive forces, fraternal socialist countries, humanitarian organizations and peace-loving people around the world - who have accompanied, helped and supported Vietnam throughout the years of national liberation struggle as well as in the cause of national reconstruction and development after the war. That sincere, wholehearted, selfless and pure sentiment and support will forever be cherished, loved and engraved in the hearts of the Vietnamese people.

Over the past century, the Vietnamese people have gone through tragic history, having to endure countless pains and losses under the yoke of colonial and feudal domination and oppression, and especially two fierce wars that lasted more than three decades.

War not only takes the lives of millions of people but also leaves behind profound physical, mental, socio-economic and environmental consequences, affecting even generations born after the guns have stopped. There is no land in Vietnam that is not in pain, no family that does not suffer loss and sacrifice. And until now, we still have to overcome the consequences of war, bombs, mines, Agent Orange...

But time, compassion, and forgiveness have helped our people gradually overcome the pain, heal the wounds, put the past behind us, respect differences, and move toward the future. After 50 years of national reunification, we have enough courage, faith, pride, and tolerance to overcome pain and look forward together - so that the past war is no longer a gap between children of the same Lac Hong bloodline.

On that development journey, the policy of national reconciliation has always been identified by the Party and State as a long-term strategic choice, a pillar in the great national unity bloc. We clearly understand the historical causes that led to war - from external intervention and division to plots to sabotage the spirit of solidarity and spread hatred for political purposes. But we also understand that: all Vietnamese people, whether at home or abroad, regardless of which side of history they have stood on, share the same origin, the same language, and the same love for their homeland and country.

Over the years, during my business trips to almost every continent, I have had many opportunities to meet thousands of Vietnamese people living abroad - from young intellectuals working in Europe, America, Asia, Oceania to successful businessmen, famous artists, ordinary workers in "new lands", including many people from the "other side" in the past. Each meeting left me with a deep impression: despite differences in political views, historical experiences or living conditions, they all carry in their hearts national pride, are all "Vietnamese people" and have a deep nostalgia for the two words "homeland".

I have witnessed many touching meetings between Vietnamese and American veterans - people who once stood on opposite sides of the battle line, once held guns against each other, but can now shake hands, talk, and share with each other with sincere understanding and no longer feel guilty.

Today, Vietnam and the United States - from former enemies - have become comprehensive strategic partners, cooperating for peace, for the benefit of the people of both countries, for security and stability in the region. So there is no reason for the Vietnamese people - sharing the same bloodline, the same mother Au Co, always yearning for a unified, prosperous country - to continue to carry hatred, division and separation in their hearts.

National reconciliation does not mean forgetting history or erasing differences, but accepting different perspectives in a spirit of tolerance and respect, to work towards a greater goal: building a peaceful, unified, powerful, civilized, and prosperous Vietnam, so that future generations will never have to witness war, separation, hatred, and loss like our ancestors faced.

We believe that all Vietnamese people - no matter where they live or what their past is - can join hands and contribute to building a bright future for the nation. The Party and the State always open their arms, respect all contributions, and listen to all constructive and united voices from the overseas Vietnamese community - those who are helping to connect Vietnam with the world.

We cannot rewrite history, but we can reshape the future. The past is to be remembered, to be grateful for, and to learn from. The future is to be built, constructed, and developed together. That is the honorable promise of today's generation to those who have fallen, and the common aspiration of a nation that has experienced much pain but has never yielded.

Fifty years ago, the Vietnamese people wrote a brilliant epic with iron will and indomitable spirit - a harmony of will, determination, unity and peace. Half a century later, the same people are continuing to write a new epic - a harmony of innovation, integration, development and the will to rise strongly in the 21st century. In the past, no true Vietnamese wanted their country to be divided. Today, certainly no true Vietnamese does not want their country to become increasingly powerful and prosperous, standing shoulder to shoulder with the world powers.

More than anyone else, today's generation understands that independence and unification are not the final destination, but the starting point of a new journey: the journey of building a peaceful, prosperous, civilized, developed and everlasting Vietnam. If the previous generation has engraved the truth "Vietnam is one, the Vietnamese people are one" through sacrifices and losses, then today's generation must turn that ideal into a driving force for development, into wings to rise up in the new era.

The spirit of national unity - once a belief and iron will to overcome difficulties, challenges, bombs and bullets - must now become political determination, a will to innovate and concrete actions to protect independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, develop the economy, and improve the material and spiritual life of the people. We must make every Vietnamese person, wherever they are, whatever they do, proud of their country, confident in the future, and have the opportunity to contribute to the common development.

In the context of a rapidly changing and unpredictable world, Vietnam needs to be steadfast and alert, not to be caught up in geopolitical vortexes or fall into a passive position in the face of international conflicts.

Every turning point in world history can become a great opportunity or challenge for small countries if they are well prepared or not well prepared internally.

The Vietnamese people understand very well the devastating consequences of war, we are a peace-loving nation, never want war to happen and will do everything to prevent war from happening.

But, if “the enemy forces us to hold guns”, we will still be the victors. More than ever, we need to build a self-reliant economy; a comprehensive, modern national defense and security; a streamlined, effective, efficient political system; a developed, united, cultural and humane society.

To do so, it is necessary to promote the intelligence and strength of the entire nation, including the overseas Vietnamese community - an inseparable part of the great national unity bloc. In the digital age, the era of global connectivity, every Vietnamese person across the five continents can contribute to the country's construction with their own knowledge, creativity, patriotism and civic responsibility.

The new era we are entering - with artificial intelligence technology, digital transformation, green economy and sustainable development - requires new thinking, new development models, new people. In the immediate future, we still have many challenges in terms of institutions, labor productivity, human resource quality, environmental security, epidemics, climate change and even non-traditional security risks. But history has proven: the Vietnamese people have never backed down in the face of hardships, difficulties and challenges. The question is whether we have enough courage to change, enough will to rise up, and enough solidarity to turn difficulties into driving forces for development.

Today's generation - from cadres, party members, civil servants, public employees to workers, farmers, intellectuals, businessmen, students, all classes of people are descendants of the Dragon and Fairy - need to be deeply aware that: we are inheriting the great heritage values from our ancestors, and we have the responsibility to make the country famous in the new era. Every action today must be worthy of the blood shed, of the sacrifices and losses that the whole nation has suffered.

We cannot let the country fall behind. We cannot let the people lose opportunities. We cannot let the cycles of history repeat themselves. Therefore, we must put the interests of the nation above all else. We must act for the long-term future, not for short-term achievements. We must firmly maintain independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and maintain a peaceful and stable environment. At the same time, we must strongly innovate in development thinking, administrative reform, building a socialist rule-of-law state, a socialist-oriented market economy, with State management, under the leadership of the Party, and building a modern socialist society.

Looking ahead, we have every right to be proud and believe in the endogenous strength of the Vietnamese people - a nation that has defeated foreign invaders many times and risen from war, asserting itself before history and before the world. With a thousand-year tradition of building and defending the country, with a constant desire to rise, with a talented, ambitious, patriotic, creative and courageous young generation - Vietnam will certainly succeed.

The 21st century is the century of nations that know how to control their own destiny. And the Vietnamese people - with all the lessons from the past, with all the solidarity today - will certainly continue to write new brilliant chapters in their development journey. For an independent, free, happy, prosperous, civilized, prosperous Vietnam, with an important position and voice in the international community.