Speaking at the closing session of the 2nd Central Committee meeting of the 14th tenure on the afternoon of 25/3, General Secretary To Lam stated that after three days of work, the Central Committee had completed its agenda, reaching high consensus on major and crucial issues for the Party and the nation. This included organizational work, personnel matters, and fundamental Party regulations.

Highlighting five key tasks for the upcoming period, the General Secretary called for strengthening political and ideological work within the Party. He mandated that every official and Party member must strictly adhere to "four steadfast principles": firmly upholding, creatively applying, and developing Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought; steadfastly pursuing national independence and socialism; firmly adhering to the Party's reform line; and consistently following the Party's organizational and operational principles to build and firmly defend socialist Vietnam.

Regarding the goal of double-digit economic growth, the General Secretary clarified that this is a requirement for the nation's development in the new era and reflects the people's aspiration to advance. "We do not accept low growth. We must persistently pursue the goal of high, sustainable, and substantive economic growth," General Secretary To Lam stated, urging ministries, sectors, localities, people, and businesses to thoroughly grasp "four core principles."

Accordingly, growth must be substantive, not sacrificing quality and sustainability for mere speed. It must also maintain macroeconomic stability, control inflation, and ensure major balances. Resource utilization must be efficient, prioritizing key projects and promoting public-private partnerships. The achievements of growth must serve the people, improve living standards, and ensure social equity.

The General Secretary stressed that growth must be based on enhancing productivity, product quality, competitiveness, and added value. Each percentage of GDP growth must contain higher knowledge content; today's growth must not harm tomorrow's development foundation or deplete resources for future generations. He called for eliminating the mindset of chasing achievements, explaining that focusing solely on speed while neglecting quality would lead to unsustainable growth.

General Secretary To Lam speaks at the closing session of the 2nd Central Committee meeting of the 14th tenure, afternoon of 25/3. Photo: Pham Thang

General Secretary To Lam speaks at the closing session of the 2nd Central Committee meeting of the 14th tenure, afternoon of 25/3. Photo: Pham Thang

Economic management must ensure macroeconomic stability, with fiscal and monetary policies managed proactively, flexibly, and in close coordination. This approach will support growth, consolidate market confidence, and enhance resilience to external shocks.

According to the General Secretary, Vietnam needs to effectively leverage resources, focusing on strategically impactful projects that create added value and strengthen key infrastructure. Capital utilization must adhere to scientific principles and clear socio-economic accounting, overcoming scattered, inefficient, and wasteful practices.

Economic growth must be linked to improving the material and spiritual lives of the people, contributing to poverty reduction, narrowing the development gap, enhancing social welfare, and ensuring the legitimate rights and interests of all segments of society. The benefits of growth must be shared equitably, laying the foundation for social consensus and sustainable development.

To create the "driving force of driving forces" for development, the Central Committee will soon develop a Resolution on the national development model for the new period, based on science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation, for the 3rd Central Committee meeting to consider and decide.

Provinces strong in strategy, communes strong in implementation

The General Secretary mandated the principle that provinces should be strong in strategy, and communes strong in implementation. Provinces will focus on planning, strategy, major investments, resource coordination, risk governance, inspection, supervision, and ensuring regional connectivity, without micromanaging lower levels. Communes will be empowered with resources to directly address matters concerning people, businesses, and daily life.

The guiding principle is that delegation of authority must be matched by resource provision; decentralization must be accompanied by strict control; and assignment of tasks must be met with corresponding capacity building.

The General Secretary noted that management must be flexible and close to reality, not rigid or mechanical, due to differing conditions among localities. He stressed that the satisfaction of people and businesses must be the ultimate criterion for evaluating the effectiveness of the two-tier local government model.

Delegates attend the closing session of the 2nd Central Committee meeting of the 14th tenure, afternoon of 25/3. Photo: Pham Thang

Delegates attend the closing session of the 2nd Central Committee meeting of the 14th tenure, afternoon of 25/3. Photo: Pham Thang

Regarding inspection, supervision, power control, and the prevention and combat of corruption, waste, and negative phenomena, the General Secretary emphasized that these must be viewed within the overall requirement for rapid and sustainable development, with a systemic and strategic approach.

In a context where many new mechanisms and policies are being issued to unlock development resources, the risk of corruption, waste, and negative phenomena is increasing in both scope and degree. The General Secretary called for perfecting institutions robust enough to make corruption "impossible," and simultaneously building supervision mechanisms strong enough to make it "unthinkable" and "undesirable."

He stressed the need to continue strictly punishing all violations, ensuring the principle of no forbidden zones and no exceptions, while upholding humanity, the rule of law, and development goals.

The General Secretary affirmed that a nation seeking rapid growth, investment attraction, market expansion, and deep integration must possess strategic autonomy, risk control capacity, robust institutions, stable social order, and resilience to traditional and non-traditional security shocks.

Therefore, ensuring national defense, security, and foreign affairs in the new period involves not only safeguarding sovereignty but also protecting a peaceful environment, institutions, social trust, cyberspace, data, economic lifelines, and the nation's strategic development interests.

The elements of national defense, security, foreign affairs, and international integration must be integrated throughout all development strategies, plans, and decisions. This ensures the nation's sustainable development, its ability for early and remote self-defense, and the building of national comprehensive strength within a unified entity.

>>> Content of General Secretary To Lam's closing speech

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