Dear compatriots,
Distinguished delegates,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
A new spring is coming, and the fresh spring breeze can be felt all over Viet Nam. Allow me, on behalf of the leaders of the Party, the State, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front, to extend a warm welcome to the representatives of overseas Vietnamese from all corners of the world to the Viet Nam motherland, to join their dear families and compatriots at home in celebrating Tet - the traditional New Year Holiday of reunion. Today, we joyfully gather here, at the Homeland Spring program, to bid farewell to 2022 - the Year of the Tiger and welcome the new year of 2023 - the Year of the Cat.
I also wish to extend my deep affection and heartfelt greetings to all overseas Vietnamese present here and Vietnamese nationals who are living, working, and studying abroad, who dearly miss their homeland but are yet to be able to return for Tet.
These days, people from all over the country are busy preparing for Tet and wrapping up a year full of care and worries. At the very last moment of the year, no matter how busy or how far away, perhaps there is a deep longing in every heart to come back home in order to immerse in the sacred atmosphere of the land, the sea, and the sky of one's birthplace, to be blended with the colors and fragrance of peach blossoms, the sweetness of chung and tet cakes, and, with a peaceful mind and heart, to offer incense to the ancestors and reunite with families, loved ones, and friends.
A strong bond with the homeland is a virtue of the Vietnamese people, cultivated over thousands of years. Anyone with Vietnamese blood in his vain will never forget this bond, as poet Đỗ Trung Quân put it: "Those who remember not their homeland/ Shall never mature as grown men".
Dear compatriots,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Last year, the world was faced with untold uncertainties and mounting challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic had yet to come to an end, natural disasters became ever more acute, conflicts broke out in many places in the world, arms races, the use of force, and power politics were on the rise. Inherent disputes and disagreements between major powers deepened, undermining the effectiveness of multilateral mechanisms and resource mobilization for addressing global issues.
Global economic growth saw a sharp decline (from 6% in 2021 to 3.2% in 2022), and global inflation doubled (from 4.7% in 2021 to 8.8% in 2022). The disruption of supply chains, energy and food crises, non-traditional security challenges, climate change, and extreme weather all exerted a severe impact on people worldwide, making their life all the more difficult.
Yet, amid the picture with many gloomy dark tones of the global landscape, we still saw the flames of humanity's ardent desire for peace, as well as tireless efforts of countries all over the world on the path to prevent and end wars, to address global problems including epidemics, climate change, to step up cooperation in harnessing opportunities brought about by the 4th Industrial Revolution for the green economy, digital economy, inclusive and sustainable development.
It can be said that peace, cooperation, and development remain prevalent trends. This enables us to continue our trust in and our joint efforts to build a better world.
Dear overseas compatriots,
Distinguished delegates,
Amidst great difficulties, the year 2022 also witnessed the joint efforts and the will of the Vietnamese people under the leadership of the Party and State. We have strongly brought to full play our endogenous strength in tandem with making good use of international resources, risen through difficulties and challenges, seized opportunities, and obtained major achievements.
Regarding the socio-economic situation, the pandemic was contained and steps were taken to reopen the economy in the new normal since 15 March 2022. These laid the foundation for socio-economic recovery and development. Macroeconomic stability was maintained and inflation was kept at 3.25%. GDP in 2022 rose by 8.02%, the highest in 11 years in the region. Total trade turnover reached 732 billion USD, with a trade surplus worth 11.2 billion USD. Disbursed FDI hit 22.5 billion USD, up by 13.5%. Viet Nam was ranked 48th out of 132 countries in the Global Innovation Index (GII).
Quality of growth has constantly risen. People's living standards have continued to improve and social and political stability maintained. Party-building has been bolstered, while vigorous efforts have been made to prevent and combat corruption and wrong-doings with no one being untouchable. The law-governed socialist state has been strengthened. Independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the country and national security have been safeguarded.
Viet Nam's international status has been elevated bilaterally and multilaterally. For the second time, Viet Nam was elected to the UN Human Rights Council. During his visit to Viet Nam in September 2022, the UN Secretary-General affirmed that Viet Nam "is an important partner" and "made many substantive and effective contributions".
Vaccine diplomacy has been effectively conducted. With over 266 million vaccine doses administered, Viet Nam was among the top 6 countries with the highest vaccination rate. Our strategy against COVID-19 made for good practices for countries across the world. In May 2022, Viet Nam successfully hosted SEA GAMES 31 with the participation of tens of thousands of people while fully meeting requirements on safety and pandemic prevention and control.
Issues and shortcomings do remain, and we must address them. But on the whole, we have overcome a year full of challenges and adversity, and more than that, we have won commendable triumphs, fulfilling our dual responsibilities to both the nation and the world.
These immense successes are the pride in which millions of Vietnamese share, be they at home or abroad. To quote General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, "never before has our country enjoyed such fortune, such strength, and such international standing and prestige as we do today".
Dear overseas compatriots,
Distinguished delegates,
Resolution 36-NQ/TW of the Party Central Committee's Politburo establishes that the community of overseas Vietnamese is "an inseparable part and an asset of the national Vietnamese community, and an important factor in strengthening the bond of cooperation and friendship between our country and others".
Through various means and in different areas, overseas Vietnamese have given important material and moral support to the building and defense of the Fatherland. The overseas Vietnamese community helps expand trade and investment ties and has contributed tens of billions of VND to fight COVID-19 and provide disaster relief. I am also gladdened to hear that last May, during the visit to the island district of Truong Sa and the DK1 rig, the overseas Vietnamese community donated more than 2 billion VND for the building of patrol boats to defend Viet Nam's sovereignty.
The Vietnamese overseas community is also a vital catalyst for Viet Nam's diplomatic successes. Through cultural and religious exchanges, our overseas compatriots are keeping alive the Vietnamese language and spreading the essence of Vietnamese culture abroad. You have become a network of heralds of friendship with other countries, as President Ho Chi Minh once said: "Each overseas Vietnamese shall be a people's ambassador representing Viet Nam".
In the economic domain, I am very impressed that many overseas Vietnamese entrepreneurs have made a name for themselves abroad. The overseas Vietnamese business associations and networks have been actively bringing Vietnamese goods to the global markets, and foreign firms and MNCs to Viet Nam to trade and invest. I very much welcome this trend.
As of October last year, overseas Vietnamese investors had 385 FDI projects in 29 countries and territories, worth more than $1.7 billion, mainly in manufacturing, processing, and hospitality real estate. Many are doing well, contributing considerably to local development, creating jobs, and contributing to the state budget. Remittances from overseas are quite considerable, equal to 7% of GDP, and increasing from one year to the next. This is an invaluable asset for the Vietnamese economy.
In the knowledge domain, I salute the strong contingency of half a million overseas Vietnamese intellectuals. You are an important source of brain power contributing to the development of innovative sciences, startup ecosystems, human resources, and domestic technologies. All of these will help realize the goal of making Viet Nam a developed and high-income country by 2045 as per the Resolution of the 13th National Party Congress.
The Party has always been consistent in its policy and attention, from the Politburo's Resolution 36 of 2004 to the Conclusion No12 of 2021, to "caring for", "supporting" and "enabling" the overseas community, so that you may demonstrate your patriotism and bond with the Fatherland. Over the past years, Viet Nam has delivered various policies to assist overseas compatriots in conflict-stricken areas around the world, support the community's everyday life and strengthen our compatriots' legal standing in foreign societies. Many activities have been held to forge a direct link between overseas compatriots and the development in the homeland. That is the spirit of the great all-nation solidarity, like Uncle Ho alluded to in his poem to the overseas community in 1962: "The strength of millions trumps the East Sea's waves"
Dear compatriots, distinguished guests,
Our country is full of hope for an independent, self-reliant, prosperous, and affluent Viet Nam. The 13th National Party Congress set the strategic goal of making Viet Nam a developed and high-income country by 2045. On the path ahead, we must certainly face many challenges and adversities. But a sufficiently great aspiration and a sufficiently lofty banner shall empower and unite our entire nation in a steady course of action and innovation to turn our dreams into reality. In this process, I hope that the overseas Vietnamese community, children of the blood of Lac Hong, will keep in their hearts the word "commonality" as Uncle Ho once said, join hands and light up the spirit of patriotism for a prosperous and strong Viet Nam.
The Homeland Spring celebration last year, due to COVID-19, was attended by only three hundred people. This year, Homeland Spring 2023 enjoys ten times that much, with around three thousand participants. What is so special is that our smiles today are so splendid, and are no longer hidden behind the face masks. That, indeed, is the truest feeling of each one of us of the success of last year. We should all be proud of this new normal.
The New Year of the Cat is approaching as the season passes into Spring. On this occasion, on behalf of the Party, the State, the Viet Nam Fatherland Front, and the Vietnamese people nationwide, I extend my best wishes to the overseas Vietnamese community and all distinguished guests.
May health, happiness, and success be with you!
May Homeland Spring 2023 be a great success!