Attending the program were comrades: Dang Quoc Khanh, member of the Party Central Committee, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment; Nguyen Thanh Binh - former member of the Party Central Committee, former Deputy Head of the Central Organizing Committee, Chairman of the Vietnam Association of the Elderly; Phan Van Hung, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Nhan Dan Newspaper; Le Cong Thanh, Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Environment; and comrades representing the leaders of the Departments, Offices, Centers, and units under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

On behalf of Dien Bien province, there was comrade Lo Van Tien, Vice Chairman of Dien Bien Provincial People's Committee.

On the side of Ha Tinh province, there were comrades: Hoang Trung Dung, member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation; Vo Trong Hai, Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Truong Thanh Huyen, member of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, Head of the Provincial Party Committee's Mass Mobilization Commission; Le Ngoc Chau, member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; representatives of leaders of departments, branches and sectors of Ha Tinh province; units and enterprises accompanying and sponsoring social security activities in Youth Month 2024; representatives of the clan, relatives of Hero Phan Dinh Giot's family and a large number of youth union members and cadres, armed forces, and local people attending the Program.

The launching ceremony is in response to the program of planting one billion trees "For a green Vietnam" launched by the Government; towards the 70th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory (May 7, 1954 - May 7, 2024); commemorating the 70th anniversary of the sacrifice of People's Armed Forces Hero Phan Dinh Giot (March 13, 1954 - March 13, 2024); practically celebrating the 20th anniversary of Youth Month and the 93rd anniversary of the founding of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union (March 26, 1931 - March 26, 2024).

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Dang Quoc Khanh said that "Tet tree planting" according to Uncle Ho's words has truly brought great benefits to the country and has become a good custom of our people during the New Year and Spring. Thousands of movements and large-scale programs have been launched nationwide such as: "Program to plant 5 million hectares of forests", "Program to green bare hills", "Program to plant 1 million trees", "Program to plant 1 billion trees" .... from which our country has millions of trees, tens of thousands of hectares of forests have been newly planted, contributing to covering bare land and hills in all regions of the country. Tree planting and forest planting have made an important contribution to proactively preventing and combating natural disasters, regulating the climate, improving the ecological environment, beautifying the natural landscape, and developing the country's socio-economy.

According to Minister Dang Quoc Khanh, after 3 years of implementing the Project of planting one billion trees approved by the Prime Minister, the whole country has planted nearly 770 million new trees with a total mobilized capital of nearly 9,500 billion VND to implement the project. Contributing to that common achievement, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment has always actively participated and coordinated with ministries, branches and localities to plant trees and afforest with many good, practical and effective methods.

Currently, our country is in the process of industrialization and urbanization. Every year, the country must set aside a significant area for industrial and urban development. Along with this process, the quality of the environment is increasingly declining to an alarming level due to the impact of environmental pollution, climate change, global warming and rising sea levels. This is also one of the biggest environmental challenges facing humanity in the 21st century.

In that context, Minister Dang Quoc Khanh said that the more we understand Uncle Ho's teachings, the more we see the necessity and great significance of planting trees and afforestation. Planting more trees along with preventing deforestation and indiscriminate exploitation of forests will greatly contribute to preventing erosion and limiting floods; planting more trees affirms Vietnam's strong determination in realizing its commitment to bring net emissions to "0" by 2050 at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP) Conferences.

With the "Tet tree planting" program this year in Ha Tinh province, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and Ha Tinh province have chosen Cam Xuyen district, a locality with full natural conditions, diverse and unique natural landscapes with many hills, rivers, lakes, plains and coastal strips. On this occasion, Minister Dang Quoc Khanh requested all levels, sectors and called on all comrades and people to enthusiastically participate in planting trees and afforestation; everyone plants trees, every household plants trees, each tree is good; at the same time, it is necessary to raise awareness and have effective measures to protect forests, prevent deforestation, forest burning, illegal forest exploitation; increase investment, apply science and technology, create support mechanisms, encourage sustainable forest economic development.

Also at the Launching Ceremony, in response to the call of the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment to respond to the Tree Planting Festival, kicking off Youth Month 2024; in order to contribute to the successful implementation of goals and tasks in the coming time, Mr. Le Ngoc Chau, Member of the Provincial Party Committee, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Ha Tinh province requested relevant units and localities to focus on implementing well a number of contents:

Regarding the activities in response to the Tet tree planting festival, we request the Department of Natural Resources and Environment, the Provincial Youth Union Standing Committee, Cam Xuyen district and relevant levels, sectors and units to actively coordinate in planting, caring for and protecting trees, and activities to protect a green, clean and beautiful living environment.

Suggesting that the Youth Union at all levels and the youth of Ha Tinh province continue to promote the youth, be proactive, volunteer to take the lead, strengthen environmental protection activities, respond to climate change, promote ideas, initiatives and creativity of young people in environmental protection work. Tree planting is not only carried out when launched but needs to be carried out in many phases, at many locations, along with ensuring effective care. Each member and youth plant, care for and protect at least one tree, in the future there will be tens of thousands, tens of millions of trees. This not only improves our own living environment, but also for the sustainable development of our homeland and country.

Regarding the Youth Month activities in 2024, Vice Chairman of Ha Tinh Provincial People's Committee Le Ngoc Chau requested all levels, sectors and localities to pay attention to and coordinate in directing the effective implementation of Youth Month according to fields and assigned responsibilities. He requested the Provincial Youth Union Standing Committee to closely follow the theme of Youth Month, effectively and practically direct the Youth Union chapters at all levels; promote the spirit of vanguard and volunteerism of young people in volunteer activities, participate in socio-economic development; boldly register to take on new and difficult tasks, especially in the fields of digital transformation, administrative reform, new rural construction, civilized urban areas, and volunteer activities for community life, so that Youth Month can truly spread and be effective, creating a broad political movement and a peak emulation movement of the youth to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Dien Bien Phu Victory, the 93rd anniversary of the founding of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union, the 120th birthday of General Secretary Tran Phu and the 110th birthday of Heroic Martyr Ly Tu Trong.

Some pictures of tree planting at the launching ceremony