Speech by Party General Secretary To Lam at Celebration of the 80th anniversary of National Day
WVR/VNA - On September 2 morning, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the National Assembly, the State President, the Government, the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front and Hanoi city solemnly organised a ceremony at the historic Ba Dinh Square to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19) and National Day (September 2). The World and Vietnam Report is honoured to introduce the translation of the speech.
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| Party General secretary To Lam at the ceremony. (Photo: VNA) |
SPEECH BY PARTY GENERAL SECRETARY TO LAM
At the Celebration marking the 80th Anniversary of the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam
Hanoi, September 2, 2025
Distinguished Leaders and Former Leaders of the Party, the State, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front;
Revolutionary veterans;
Heroic Vietnamese Mothers, Heroes of the People’s Armed Forces, Labour Heroes;
Generals, officers, and soldiers of the People’s Armed Forces;
Compatriots and comrades; overseas Vietnamese; friends and progressive peoples around the world;
Esteemed delegates!
Today, in the sacred and heroic atmosphere of the August Revolution, we solemnly gather to celebrate the 80th Anniversary of the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (September 2, 1945 – September 2, 2025).
Eighty years ago, at historic Ba Dinh Square, our beloved President Ho Chi Minh solemnly proclaimed the Declaration of Independence, founding the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam—the first people’s democratic state in Southeast Asia—ushering in a new era of independence and freedom for our nation. From that historic moment, the Vietnamese people embarked on a new journey: building the people’s government, safeguarding the Fatherland, and steadily advancing along the socialist path toward the goal of “a prosperous people, a strong country, democracy, justice, and civilization.”
At this sacred moment, we respectfully pay tribute to our ancestors, express our boundless gratitude to the great President Ho Chi Minh, and honour the revolutionary forebears and the millions of compatriots and soldiers who sacrificed and devoted themselves for the independence, freedom, reunification of the Fatherland, and the happiness of the People.
We shall forever remember the immense contributions of the Heroic Vietnamese Mothers, veterans, wounded and sick soldiers, families of martyrs, and all those who rendered great service to the revolution. We remain deeply grateful for the dedication of workers, farmers, entrepreneurs, intellectuals, writers and artists, elders, youth, women, children, followers of all religions, ethnic communities, overseas Vietnamese, as well as friends and progressive peoples around the world who have stood shoulder to shoulder with us, supporting and assisting the just revolutionary cause of the Vietnamese people throughout the past eighty years.
The Fatherland of Vietnam is the crystallization of millennia-old traditions of nation-building and national defense; of indomitable courage, wisdom, compassion, and the aspiration to rise. That spirit forged the tremendous strength of the August Revolution; of the protracted resistance wars against colonialism and imperialism; of the endeavors to build and defend the country in times of peace; and of the cause of renewal, international integration, and national development. It is a strength that originates from the People, belongs to the People, and serves the People—the strength of the great national unity bloc under the glorious banner of the Communist Party of Vietnam, founded, led, and trained by President Ho Chi Minh.
We proudly affirm that every victory of the Vietnamese revolution has been inseparably linked to the sound and astute leadership of the Party, as well as to the thought, morality, and style of Ho Chi Minh. Our Party—the vanguard of the working class, and at the same time the vanguard of the working people and the entire Vietnamese nation—has always remained steadfast in the goal of national independence associated with socialism; has creatively applied and developed Marxism–Leninism and Ho Chi Minh Thought in accordance with the realities of the country in each period; and has always placed the interests of the Fatherland and the People above all else. Thanks to this, our nation has surmounted countless difficulties and challenges; our country has transformed from a colony into an independent, unified nation, now firmly advancing toward modernization and deep international integration; with its position and prestige increasingly affirmed in the international arena.
Compatriots and comrades!
The tasks of safeguarding the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the Fatherland; maintaining security, order, and social safety to ensure rapid and sustainable national development; and constantly improving the lives and happiness of the People are now our command of action.
Successfully fulfilling these three objectives means realizing the wish expressed by President Ho Chi Minh in his final testament: “My ultimate desire is that our entire Party and people, unite and strive, will build a Vietnam that is peaceful, unified, independent, democratic, and prosperous, and that will make a worthy contribution to the world revolution.”
Over the past 80 years—marked by hardship yet filled with glory—we have affirmed a profound truth: under the Party’s glorious banner, with the guiding light of Ho Chi Minh, and drawing on the strength of the People and the great national unity bloc, there is no difficulty or challenge our people cannot overcome, no noble goal our nation cannot achieve. Therefore, no obstacle and no cause can prevent us from advancing toward peace, prosperity, and the enduring development of our nation.
Looking to the future, our Party has set the goal that by 2045, on the centenary of our nation’s founding, Vietnam will become a strong, prosperous, and happy country. This is the aspiration of the entire nation, and it is also our solemn pledge before History and before the People.
I call upon the entire Party, the entire people, the entire armed forces, and our compatriots both at home and abroad: through concrete and practical actions, let us unite, join efforts, and act with one heart to turn aspiration into reality. Let us strive with greater effort and stronger determination; let us fully promote the wisdom, creativity, and steadfastness of Vietnam; and let us successfully accomplish the goals and tasks set forth by the Party and the State, and expected by the People.
We are determined and steadfast in defending the independence, freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the Fatherland—**every sacred part of our land**—by mobilizing the combined strength of the entire nation: political, economic, cultural, scientific, technological, military, diplomatic strength, and above all, the strength of the People’s will. We aspire to be a friend and a reliable partner to all countries in the world. We respect international law and the Charter of the United Nations, and we are committed to resolving differences and disputes by peaceful means. At the same time, we will never yield to any schemes or actions that infringe upon our independence, sovereignty, unity, or territorial integrity; we are resolute in firmly safeguarding the interests of the nation and the people.
Compatriots and comrades!
In this sacred moment, it is as if we can still hear the resounding words of President Ho Chi Minh’s 1945 Declaration of Independence, and feel millions of Vietnamese hearts beating in unison with pride, echoing the solemn oath: “To die for the Fatherland to live.” We more profoundly understand the true value of “Independence,” “Freedom,” and “Happiness”; we cherish peace all the more and are ever more determined to nurture it; and we deeply feel the sacred meaning of the words “My People,” “My Fatherland.”
Once again, we bow in deep reverence before the spirit of our great President Ho Chi Minh and the heroic martyrs who have forever become part of our nation and its sacred soul.
On this 80th Anniversary of the National Day of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, I extend my warmest congratulations to all compatriots, comrades, soldiers across the country, overseas Vietnamese, and international friends.
Long live the enduring Vietnam; a peaceful Fatherland; a prosperous and developing Vietnamese nation!
Long live the glorious Socialist Republic of Vietnam!
Long live the glorious Communist Party of Vietnam!
May our great President Ho Chi Minh live forever in our cause!
Eternal glory belongs to the People!
Thank you very much.
