Vietnam News Agency (VNA) respectfully introduces the full text of the speech of General Secretary and President To Lam at the meeting with leaders and former leaders of the Party and State: “ Dear leaders and former leaders of the Party, State, Government, National Assembly, and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front. Dear comrades. Today, I am very happy and excited to meet the leaders and former leaders of the Party, State, Government, National Assembly, and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front on the occasion of the 79th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day September 2; first of all, on behalf of the Party and State leaders and with my personal feelings, I would like to sincerely thank you for attending this meaningful and friendly meeting. I would like to wish you and your families good health and happiness, and to continue to pay attention and contribute your enthusiastic and intellectual opinions to the glorious revolutionary cause of our Party and our people. Dear comrades! The passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, an exceptionally outstanding leader, is an irreparable loss to our Party and our nation. The state funeral for the late General Secretary was held thoughtfully and solemnly, expressing the infinite sorrow of the entire Party, people and army for the passing of comrade Nguyen Phu Trong. In response to the regular and urgent requirements and tasks of the Party and State in building and developing the country, caring for the people's lives; the requirement to concentrate efforts to successfully implement the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, and to carefully and thoroughly prepare for Party Congresses at all levels towards the 14th National Party Congress, the Politburo, the Central Committee of the Party, and the National Assembly have decided to complete the leadership positions of the Party and State. The personnel work has been carried out closely, thoroughly, cautiously, in accordance with procedures and regulations, contributing to stabilizing the apparatus, strengthening the Party's leadership, promptly responding to work requirements, in line with the actual situation, consolidating solidarity and unity and the people's trust in the Party; the initial steps have been taken recently and will continue to be carried out in the coming time. I would also like to thank the veteran cadres who congratulated me when I assumed the position of General Secretary and President. Regarding some of the main tasks and results that the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, and the Secretariat have achieved since the beginning of the year; the expected tasks to be carried out in the last months of the year and the coming time, Comrade Luong Cuong, Standing member of the Secretariat, has informed you all in detail; I would like to acknowledge and thank you for the sincere and enthusiastic comments of some comrades who shared and encouraged us about the common achievements as well as noted the limitations that need to be overcome. It can be affirmed that the achievements in recent times are thanks to the great efforts of the entire Party, the entire people, the entire army and the entire political system, in which there are especially valuable contributions, full of enthusiasm, intelligence and responsibility of the leaders, former high-ranking leaders of the Party and the State. On behalf of the Party and State leaders, I would like to sincerely thank you for your sentiments, responsibility and contributions to the Party, the people and the country. At today's meeting, I would like to report and clarify the following contents: First, about the risks threatening the leadership role of the Party and the socialist regime in our country. Under the leadership of the Party, directly by the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat, the revolutionary cause of our Party, our people have won one victory after another, liberating the country, turning Vietnam from backwardness, underdevelopment into a developing country, with average income; Never before has the country integrated so deeply and made such positive contributions to world politics, the global economy and human civilization as it does today. However, we cannot lose our vigilance against the four threats to the Party's leadership role that generations of Party and State leaders have unanimously identified since the 7th Mid-Term National Delegates Conference (from January 20 to 25, 1994) to the present; there are even more complicated developments as we comprehensively promote the renovation process and proactively integrate comprehensively and deeply into the international community. Strategic competition among major countries in the Asia-Pacific region is fierce, the manifestations of compromise are temporary, the main ones are competition, confrontation and constantly expanding in scope and fields; the risk of collision and conflict can happen anywhere, existing in the Korean Peninsula, the Taiwan Strait, the East Sea and Vietnam is a hot spot in competition and attraction between the parties. This poses a huge challenge for us in balancing and harmoniously handling foreign relations with major countries, minimizing the pressure to choose sides, and economic sanctions in the context of a highly open economy. The work of Party building and rectification continues to be implemented, with the goal of maintaining the Party's absolute leadership role, continuing to clean up and strengthen the organization. Recently, with the spirit of "no forbidden areas, no exceptions", "handling one case, warning the whole region, the whole field", "handling one person to save thousands of people", the fight against corruption and negative practices has been resolutely implemented, recovering hundreds of thousands of billions of VND for the State; handling many subjects who are owners of non-state enterprises, prosecuting and trying them in absentia; clarifying many shortcomings, limitations, negatives, signs of "local interests" of ministries, branches, and localities that are barriers, obstacles, and even holding back the socio-economic development of the country, the cause of corruption in the cadre team. Taking full advantage of Vietnam's comprehensive and extensive international integration, hostile and reactionary forces are vigorously promoting the implementation of the "Peaceful Evolution" strategy with extremely insidious and dangerous plots, methods and tricks. The subjects have implemented it methodically; there is a division of roles and close coordination between many countries; they have had a wide impact and deeply intervened in many Codes, laws and guiding documents in many areas of social life; the purpose is to change the Vietnamese legal system according to Western criteria; determining this as the "shortest" and "fastest" way to transform the political regime in our country. They have increased the collection of "state secrets and internal secrets", promoted "self-evolution" elements, and formed the seeds of a very dangerous "color revolution". The risk of economic backwardness and deviation from socialism is still evident in the face of complicated developments in traditional and non-traditional security issues, especially cyber security, economic security, finance and currency, energy, water resources, etc. Second, some immediate tasks contribute to repelling risks, successfully implementing the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress and preparing for the 14th National Party Congress. Recently, the Politburo met to review preparations for the 10th Central Conference, agreeing that from now until the end of the year, priority will be given to the group of projects submitted to the 10th Central Conference and the group of projects to remove difficulties for socio-economic development. The Standing Committee of the Document Subcommittee met and agreed on a number of principles, viewpoints, and methods for preparing the documents of the 14th National Party Congress, ensuring the planning of the country's development path in the coming years on the basis of faithfully continuing the revolutionary cause that President Ho Chi Minh and generations of Party and State leaders, including the late General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, have worked hard to build; inheriting and strongly promoting the glorious traditions and valuable lessons of our Party; strongly liberating production resources, expanding development space, opening up new development prospects, soon reaching the finish line to successfully implement the 100-year strategic goals under the Party's leadership, 100 years of founding the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The work of summarizing 40 years of national renovation, 35 years of implementing the Platform for national development, building documents for Party Congresses at all levels, and carefully preparing a team of qualified personnel, equal to the tasks, is being carried out very urgently. The subcommittees have actively deployed activities, ensuring progress.

Continue to build a lean, compact, strong, disciplined, elite, and modern armed force in the spirit of self-reliance and self-improvement; firmly maintain sovereignty, territorial integrity, maintain peace, stability, security and order, and be capable of preventing and responding to modern warfare capabilities. Ensure that the people's armed forces are always a solid, reliable support and a source of pride for the people and the Vietnamese nation. As planned, the National Assembly session in October 2024 will complete the positions of senior leaders. Party committees and authorities at all levels will also be completed soon to ensure the strengthening of the Party's leadership role in the tasks of economic, cultural, social development, national defense, security, and foreign affairs. Implementing the foreign affairs program, the General Secretary and President will pay visits and work in China from August 18 to 20 at the invitation of General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping; attend the United Nations General Assembly; attending the Francophone Conference... Those activities continue to affirm the consistency of our Party's foreign policy, at the same time consolidate political trust, promote national interests and new development opportunities, and minimize negative impacts on the task of building and defending the Fatherland. The Politburo and the Secretariat are resolutely directing four tasks, including: (1) Focusing on leadership to ensure breakthroughs, acceleration, and early completion of the successful implementation of the targets, goals, and tasks set forth in the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress. (2) Prioritizing the removal of institutional difficulties and obstacles, creating the most favorable conditions for all normal activities within the legal framework, contributing to national construction, improving the lives of people of organizations, individuals, businesses, and entrepreneurs at home and abroad. (3) Focus on leading the implementation of social security policies, improving the material and spiritual life of the people, creating an exciting atmosphere for the people in their lives and production work. (4) Continue to resolutely and persistently fight against corruption and negativity with the identified viewpoints, mottos, tasks and solutions, contributing to building and rectifying a clean and strong Party, promoting sustainable economic development. Dear comrades, In order to repel risks, successfully implement the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress, carefully prepare for the 14th National Party Congress, and bring the country into a new era, an era of the Vietnamese nation's rise; requires more than ever that our entire Party, people and army constantly strengthen solidarity and unity, join hands and make the most of opportunities and advantages, and make the most of all resources, first of all, endogenous resources and human resources. The comrades attending today's meeting are all former senior officials of the Party and State, having held important positions in central and local agencies, many of whom have participated in many Central Committee sessions; although they are old and have retired, they are still very dedicated, intelligent, responsible and experienced, and are a solid support for the Party, the State and the current leadership team. We always remember the contributions, always strive to learn, continue and promote the achievements and experiences of previous generations; we hope to continue to receive your help, support and valuable comments. I believe that with your enthusiasm and responsibility, depending on your individual conditions, you will continue to make contributions to our leadership generation and the glorious revolutionary cause of our Party, people and nation. Once again, I would like to express my sincere feelings, respect, gratitude and wish you and your family good health, happiness and success. Thank you very much, comrades!