Reporter (PV): Dear comrade, the victory of April 30, 1975 was a great spiritual motivation, encouraging and motivating the entire Party, the entire army and the entire people in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland. Over the past time, how has the provincial Veterans Association applied that spirit in the process of building the Association?

Comrade Le Dinh Cuoc: For every Vietnamese person in general, and war veterans in particular, the victory of April 30, 1975 is always a source of pride for the great achievement in the cause of national liberation and reunification led by our Party and President Ho Chi Minh; a glorious and brilliant page in the history of building and defending the country for thousands of years. Promoting the revolutionary tradition and the spirit of the great victory of Spring 1975, generations of war veterans in the province have always been exemplary in leading emulation movements, contributing their efforts with the entire Party, people and army in the province to successfully carry out the task of building and defending the Fatherland in the new era.

A typical example is the movement "War veterans help each other reduce poverty, do good business" associated with the movements and campaigns of the Central and local levels. In order for the movement "War veterans help each other reduce poverty, do good business" to go into depth and achieve high results, the Association at all levels has promoted and encouraged members to promote self-reliance, self-improvement, and constantly strive to develop the family economy.

In particular, it focuses on mobilizing members and people to actively learn, exchange experiences, increase the application of science and technology, especially information technology in cultivation and animal husbandry; diversify goods, production, business and service sectors towards green, clean, environmentally friendly technology, sustainable development. On the other hand, in order to help members have capital to develop production, the Association at all levels has coordinated with the Social Policy Bank to create conditions for members to borrow capital.

Currently, the Association at all levels is managing 443 Savings and Loan Groups with outstanding loans of over 742 billion VND, an increase of 118 billion VND compared to the same period in 2023, with 15,520 households receiving loans. In addition, the Association at all levels has mobilized members to build a "Comradeship" Fund to help members borrow without interest or at preferential interest rates. From here, many economic development models of members have grown from the capital of comradeship. Not only enriching themselves, many War Veterans Association members also actively support each other with capital, help each other with working days, trees, and seeds, creating conditions to help poor households rise up.

The Association of War Veterans in districts and cities has mobilized cadres and members to save 2,000 VND per month to support the "Two-Thousand-Dong House" fund to help members with difficult housing circumstances repair and rebuild their houses. In 2023, the Association at all levels mobilized over 848 million VND to support the "Two-Thousand-Dong House" fund. With the above amount, combined with supporting organizations and individuals as well as war veterans helping with working days, in 2023, 38 new houses were built, 5 houses were repaired, and gifts worth over 100 million VND were given to families of war veteran members with housing difficulties.

Also in 2023, the Association at all levels propagated and mobilized cadres and members to support the "Repaying gratitude, repaying kindness and social security" fund with over 3.1 billion VND, the Fund for building houses for poor war veterans' households with housing difficulties in Dien Bien province launched by the Central Association of Vietnam War Veterans with over 229 million VND.

Leading by example in economic development, the war veterans have been affirming their role in social life, truly a shining example for many people to follow. Currently, the whole province has 51,083 members, of which 64.2% of war veterans' families have an above-average standard of living, the rate of poor members is only 0.54%, and near-poor households is 0.89%.

PV: To promote the role of the Association in educating the young generation about patriotism and revolutionary heroism, what specific activities have the War Veterans Associations at all levels in the province had, comrade?

Comrade Le Dinh Cuoc: Over the past years, the Provincial Veterans Association and the Provincial Youth Union Standing Committee have implemented the Joint Program on "Building a young generation with patriotism, revolutionary ideals, beautiful lifestyles, and Vietnamese cultural qualities" associated with promoting the study and following of Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality, and style" and documents of the Central Committee related to the education of revolutionary ideals, morality, and cultural lifestyle for children and adolescents, the Campaign "Building model values ​​of Vietnamese youth in the new era" and the patriotic emulation movement "Exemplary veterans".

On the basis of the coordination program, the Youth Union and Association at all levels have promoted the education of patriotic traditions, revolutionary traditions, the morality of drinking water and remembering its source, educating and fostering ideals, ethics, lifestyles and political theories for union members, youth and association members; gathering and attracting the young generation, consolidating the Youth Union and Association organizations; recruiting union members and association members.

Every year, the Association at all levels has coordinated with the Youth Union to do a good job of propaganda, organizing meetings with historical witnesses of "Memories of Soldiers", organizing forums to talk about traditions on events and anniversaries for students at educational institutions in the province; coordinating to organize candle lighting and gratitude art programs at martyrs' cemeteries; training and advising local Party committees to organize the admission of outstanding young people into the Party before joining the army.

Coordinate education to raise awareness of participation in ensuring political security, social order and safety and preventing social evils; coordinate the implementation of socio-economic development tasks in the locality, organize social charity, humanitarian and social security activities; promote activities to celebrate major holidays of the country, the province, traditional days of the two organizations...

PV: Promoting the qualities of "Uncle Ho's soldiers" in the new period has brought many positive results in social life. In the coming time, what solutions does the provincial Veterans Association have to contribute to the cause of building the homeland?

Comrade Le Dinh Cuoc: Proud of the April 30 Victory, promoting the tradition of "Loyalty, Solidarity, Exemplary, Innovation", along with the results achieved in recent years, in the face of new requirements, the Association at all levels continues to determine to attach importance to and regularly do well the work of political and ideological education; strengthen propaganda, mobilize cadres and members to actively study, thoroughly grasp and well implement the Party's guidelines, policies and laws of the State; resolutely fight against the false arguments of reactionary forces and prevent and combat "self-evolution" and "self-transformation" among cadres and Party members; proactively join all levels, sectors and localities to participate in movements and campaigns with the spirit of "Consensus first, contribution first, implementation first".

In particular, the Association at all levels continues to be united and responsible in performing the task of participating in building and protecting the Party, the government, the people, and the socialist regime, contributing to maintaining political stability and social order in the locality. At the same time, promote the implementation of the movement "Veterans help each other reduce poverty and do good business"; actively participate in the movement to build new rural areas and civilized urban areas.

Focus on implementing charitable activities, mobilizing the construction of the "Two Thousand Dong House" Fund, mobilizing resources from organizations and individuals, striving to build new and repair 35 houses for war veterans with housing difficulties on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of the Vietnam War Veterans' Traditional Day (December 5, 1989 - December 5, 2024).

Focus on innovating working style and methods in a close and scientific manner, directing activities to the grassroots level; upholding the leadership principle, promoting democracy; promptly encouraging and rewarding collectives and individuals with achievements, taking the lead in movements, along with reminding, criticizing, and disciplining collectives and individuals who violate the law; promoting the exemplary role of leaders in leadership, organization, implementation, etc., contributing to building a clean and strong Association, building an increasingly prosperous homeland and country.

PV: Thank you, comrade!

Mai Lan (Performed)