On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification (April 30, 1975 - April 30, 2025), on the morning of April 21, in Ho Chi Minh City, General Secretary To Lam chaired a meeting with veteran revolutionary cadres, meritorious people, and typical policy families in the Southern region.

Attending the meeting were former Politburo members: Former President Nguyen Minh Triet, former President Truong Tan Sang, former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, former National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, and former Standing member of the Secretariat Le Hong Anh.

Comrades: Politburo member, former Politburo member, Party Central Committee Secretary, former Party Central Committee Secretary, Party Central Committee member, former Party Central Committee member, leaders, former leaders of the Party, State, Vietnam Fatherland Front, representatives of central departments, ministries, branches; leaders, former leaders of provincial and municipal Party Committees through the periods in the southern provinces; veteran revolutionary cadres, Heroic Vietnamese Mothers, Heroes of the People's Armed Forces, Heroes of Labor, veterans, wounded soldiers, families of martyrs, people with meritorious services to the revolution, typical policy families in the southern region attended.

Maximize the unique advantages of each locality

In the atmosphere of the whole country excited, proud, and joyful towards the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South, the reunification of the country as well as the important events of 2025, at the meeting, veteran cadres and people with meritorious services to the revolution shared their dedicated, responsible, and intellectual opinions for the glorious revolutionary cause of our Party, our people, and for the localities where they reside and live.

Speaking at the meeting, General Secretary To Lam emphasized that comrades, Uncle Ho's soldiers, have overcome countless hardships, difficulties and dangers to write golden pages of history about the long-term resistance war, creating "Vietnam's standing" in the flow of the times.

During the arduous years of war, comrades, with their ardent patriotism, courageous spirit and steadfast will, overcame all losses and sacrifices to contribute to the victory of the Vietnamese revolution. Many comrades fell, forever remaining in the bosom of the motherland in all fierce battlefields, from the North to the South, from the high mountains to the vast sea, from the Central Highlands to the coastal plains.

Your footsteps have traveled all over the beloved roads of the Fatherland, from the North to the South, from the South to the North. Some of you have returned with wounds and illnesses on your bodies, with memories of war deeply imprinted in your minds. Some have continued to silently contribute to the country in peacetime, from social work, economic development, building new rural areas to educating the younger generation.

The General Secretary said that the historical journey of the revolutionary army is an epic in the history of the struggle for national liberation, protection of the country and protection of the people. The Party and State have decided to invest in building the Vietnam Military Museum to permanently preserve hundreds of thousands of artifacts and documents related to the history of the birth, fighting, victory and growth of the Vietnam People's Army. The Politburo has also decided to build the Museum of the History of the Communist Party of Vietnam, expected to be inaugurated on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of our Party (February 3, 2030), where historical artifacts of the Communist Party of Vietnam are preserved.

The General Secretary also informed about a number of issues that the people are very concerned about, especially policies related to "national economy - people's livelihood" and urgent key tasks in 2025, in preparation for the 14th National Party Congress and the following years.

Regarding the policy of rearranging and reorganizing administrative units and building a two-level local government, the General Secretary said that the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, and the Secretariat have discussed and evaluated carefully, considered many aspects, and reached a high consensus on implementing this policy. The people of the whole country agree and support it, considering this a true revolution.

The General Secretary emphasized that after the arrangement and merger of the Southern provinces (from Binh Thuan onwards, including Lam Dong and Dak Nong) from 22 provinces and cities to 9 provinces and cities. This created a diverse development space, both in terms of nature, economy, and culture, especially making the most of the marine spatial morphology to activate the connection between mountains, forests, plains, and islands to supplement, interact, and support each other to develop while still preserving the cultural identity of the region and locality; creating new momentum for some provinces to become centrally-run cities.

The General Secretary pointed out that the merger of provinces aims to create new dynamics, new potentials, and new spaces for development. It is not simply "two plus two equals four" but "two plus two is greater than four". Can Tho - Hau Giang - Soc Trang; Ben Tre - Tra Vinh - Vinh Long become new provinces that can firmly "stand on three legs" and enter the era of development, prosperity and wealth. The new strength will certainly multiply many times. The people of the new provinces of Binh Duong, Dong Thap, Vinh Long, Can Tho, Hau Giang will become people with seas and mountains. Tay Ninh has a large river mouth connecting to the sea. "Highland people" of Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Lam Dong and "plain people" of Dong Thap, Dong Nai, Vinh Long will become "people with seas".

The General Secretary suggested that in order for "Ho Chi Minh City to shine with its golden name," the Party Committee, government and people of the city must make more efforts, faster, more resolutely and more strongly.

The city needs to have greater solidarity and unity; stronger political determination; more dynamism and creativity; proactively seize opportunities and overcome challenges; maintain political and social stability; build and develop the city quickly and sustainably with quality and speed higher than the national average; build a healthy cultural environment; constantly improve the material and spiritual life of the people, ensure security and national defense. Build Ho Chi Minh City into a civilized and modern city with the role of a special urban area, leading the industrialization and modernization cause, making increasingly greater contributions to the region and the country.

In the new development space, localities will supplement, support, link, and move forward together. The expanded Ho Chi Minh City will not only include the current Ho Chi Minh City with Binh Duong, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, but also be more closely connected with all provinces and cities such as Dong Nai, Tay Ninh, Dong Thap, Vinh Long, Can Tho, An Giang... to "redesign the regional development strategy," aiming to maximize the unique advantages of each locality to create a new whole that is superior to the sum of its parts.

The new Ho Chi Minh City will become the locomotive, the driving force for strong development in the entire Southeast, Southwest, Central Highlands and South Central regions; become an international megacity leading the region, but also a comprehensive development link between the city and the region, in which the southern provinces not only "accompany" but also proactively play the role of strategic partners, jointly creating a common economic, cultural and social space. The new Ho Chi Minh City will be successful if the whole region develops together and the region will flourish when Ho Chi Minh City leads, cooperates, shares, and moves forward together.

The expanded Ho Chi Minh City will play a core role, a driving force for the comprehensive development of the Southeast, Southwest and more broadly the Central Highlands and South Central regions. The city's development is closely linked and mutually supportive with the development of the provinces and cities in the region; not only "leading", but also closely linking, maximizing complementary advantages, building an inter-regional economic and cultural space, forming a new growth pole of regional and international stature.

Prioritize narrowing the development gap between regions

During the process of merging provinces, the General Secretary noted the need to ensure the promotion of high-quality human resources from all relevant localities. The arrangement of cadres must select people with good capacity, ensuring balance, harmony and solidarity, maximizing the exploitation of talents and management experience from many localities; cadres who dare to think, dare to speak, dare to do, dare to take responsibility, dare to sacrifice for the common good. Synchronize spatial development planning, build a modern and integrated infrastructure system, including traffic infrastructure, telecommunications infrastructure, urban infrastructure, industrial infrastructure... not only within the scope of the new administrative unit but also effectively connect with provinces in the region, forming a synchronous infrastructure network for the whole region.

The General Secretary emphasized the unification of the legal system and administrative procedures: Building a common set of standards for the new administrative unit on the basis of harmonization, inheritance and upgrading from the practices of each locality. At the same time, reviewing all current regulations, ensuring transparency, convenience, and the best support for people and businesses both inside and outside the new administrative unit. Managing land and public assets in a public, transparent and professional manner. Paying special attention to areas with great development potential, in order to avoid loss, waste, and group interests; listening, explaining, dialogue and accompanying people, businesses and localities in the region; making people understand correctly, trust, be proud and actively participate in the process of restructuring the new administrative unit is a common task and opportunity for everyone.

The General Secretary requested that after the merger, a closely linked and synchronous development space be formed between the new and old areas, in terms of spatial planning, finance, technical infrastructure, social infrastructure and urban management; at the same time, regional coordination mechanisms be established to ensure sustainable, stable and long-term development for the entire Southeast and Southwest regions. Adjust and optimize the budget and investment resources, with the principle of reasonable and effective allocation for the development of inter-regional transport infrastructure and high-quality public services; at the same time, encourage the participation of resources between southern provinces and cities according to the regional investment linkage mechanism.

Comprehensive social security care, ensuring that no one is left behind in the development process; prioritizing solutions to narrow the development gap between localities, especially newly merged areas and disadvantaged areas. Strictly protecting natural resources and ecological environment, especially in merged provinces with both forests and seas; development must be sustainable, harmonizing between socio-economics and environment for today's and future generations.

The General Secretary emphasized the need to improve the quality of education, healthcare, culture and sports, gradually narrow the gap in the quality of public services between regions and merged units; build a civilized, modern lifestyle imbued with national cultural identity; better ensure social security and safety so that every citizen has the right to be proud, responsible for contributing and enjoying the fruits of development; firmly consolidate national defense, security and order, ensure political and social stability in all situations, especially in the context of large-scale localities, high-level regional connectivity and deep international integration; constantly innovate leadership methods, improve the capacity and fighting strength of Party committees at all levels; expand and build a truly clean and strong political system; organize a streamlined, efficient, effective and modern government apparatus, imbued with the motto "of the people, by the people, for the people," to meet the increasingly high demands of the people in the new development context.

On this occasion, on behalf of the Party and State leaders, comrade Nguyen Trong Nghia, Politburo member, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, Head of the Central Propaganda and Mass Mobilization Commission, presented the 45-year Party membership badge to three comrades: Tran Tri Dung, former member of the Party Central Committee, former Secretary of the Tra Vinh Provincial Party Committee; Senior Lieutenant General Tran Don, former member of the Party Central Committee, former Deputy Minister of National Defense; Nguyen Nam Viet, Secretary of the Long An Provincial Party Committee.