This year, Viet Nam celebrates its 76th National Day, filled with special meanings and presents yet another opportunity to reminisce on and honour the valour and selflessness of those thousands of people whose sacrifices ensured peace and freedom to our nation.
On September 02, 1945, President Ho Chi Minh marked the most important milestone in Vietnam’s history by proclaiming a declaration of independence, driving Vietnam towards a brighter future. At a time of challenge and change throughout the world, Viet Nam continues to strive to live up to the ideals and principles of our great leader, late President Ho Chi Minh.
Along the journey of 76 years, millions of Vietnamese people, standing shoulder-to-shoulder, have held high our national flag, overcoming countless hurdles in the arduous struggle for national independence and reunification. Through tremendous effort in strengthening international integration, and successful economic transformation, our economy now constitutes an important link in the network of regional and global economic value and supply chains.
As an active and responsible member of the international community, Vietnam has significantly contributed to peace, cooperation and development. The guidelines adopted at the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Viet Nam held in January 2021, have enabled our foreign policy to continuously promote and deepen bilateral as well as international relations through comprehensive and modern diplomacy.
While taking great pride in our persevering efforts and historic achievements, Viet Nam shall never forget the effective assistance and precious support from the international friends including the Government and people of Sri Lanka.
The deep-rooted friendship between Vietnam and Sri Lanka spans across several centuries even though diplomatic cooperation establishment officially in 1970. Sri Lanka even became one of the first to supported Viet Nam in its struggle against foreign occupation, acting as a staunch ally.
Together, the two countries equally enjoy amiable ties in bilateral, regional and multilateral diplomacy in a wider range including politics, trade, investment and economics, defense, culture, education, tourism, agriculture etc. This robust relationship is also marked by high level visits undertaken by leaders of both countries.
On behalf of the State and people of Viet Nam, I take this opportunity to express my sincerest gratitude for warm friendship, valuable support and effective cooperation of Sri Lanka and look forward to our continued great journey together.
Today, Viet Nam this graceful event at a critical time, not just to our country, but to the entire world. As the rapid, unprecedented and complicated spread of COVID-19 pandemic affects almost every nation, Viet Nam and Sri Lanka are no exemptions. Although both our countries successfully contained the spread of the disease through comprehensive and timely actions during 2020, the new variants of the virus have brought greater challenges in 2021.
However, I am of high confidence that the strong visionary leaderships of the two countries along with appropriate measures including isolations and vaccine diplomacy, both Viet Nam and Sri Lanka will soon overcome this challenging time and concentrate on economic recovery, developing ways and means to move forward together under the new normalcy.
May the fine cordial relations and multi-faced cooperation between Vietnam and Sri Lanka further consolidate and develop in the years to come.
The Success Story, Through Struggles Towards Prosperity and Happiness…
On September 2nd, 1945 President Ho Chi Minh, the great leader of Vietnam proclaimed the immortal declaration of Independence at the Ba Dinh Square in Hanoi, giving birth to a new Vietnam, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam which is now the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
The road to independence was never easy for Vietnam but the Vietnamese left a persisting mark on the history of the 20th century. They stood together to continue to fight against foreign invaders and struggled for the nation's sovereignty, independence and freedom. To this date, the Vietnamese people are proactively striving for national building and international integration while contributing to peace, friendship and cooperation in the region and the world over.
Since the implementation of the "Doi Moi reform” in 1986, Vietnam has recorded outstanding achievements in all aspects including economic development, socio-cultural development and international integration by adapting an open-door policy.
During more than 35 years of reform, Vietnam has shown a steady economic growth rate starting from just 4.4% average annual GDP growth in the initial period of 1986 - 1990 up to 6.8% in the period of 2016-2019. In 2020, even amid of the heavy influence of the Covid-19 pandemic, the GDP growth rate reached 2.91%, making Vietnam one of the few countries in the world with a positive economic growth rate. The scale of the economy has also been significantly expanded with nearly 343 billion USD and 3,521 USD GDP per capita in 2020.
The flourishing market economy has enabled Vietnam to emerge as an economic power in its region with the industrial and service sector accounting for over 75% of the country’s GDP in 2020. Vietnam's agricultural sector recorded the highest growth rate amounting 28.2% among national economic sectors during last year. It is also involved in exporting many high value agricultural products, becoming the country's main export industry and bringing Vietnam to the 19th position among the world’s largest exporting countries in 2019. Export turnover of agricultural, forestry and fishery products reached 41 billion USD in 2020.
As the economic structure shifts towards industrialization and modernization, the service sector's share in GDP reached 42% in 2019 with over 6% annual growth rate. Education and training together with science and technology have generated many achievements, creating a driving force for socio-economic development. Information and communication infrastructure have developed synchronously and innovatively, meeting the requirements of the process of industrialization and modernization of the country.
As the years passed, Vietnam has become one of the most comprehensively integrated economies in the world, owing to extensive international economic integration at different levels (bilateral, multilateral, and regional) and in different forms and frameworks; particularly, strategic partners, agreements (trade, investment, environment), forums (APEC, ASEM), international organizations (World Bank, International Monetary Fund, Asian Development Bank). Becoming a member of WTO is the most important event marking a new milestone in the process of economic integration. The development space is wide open with 13 Free Trade Agreements in force.
In the past 10 years, Vietnam's export markets have expanded in the direction of diversification and multilateralization. The United States being its largest export market; followed by China, European countries, ASEAN countries, Korea and Japan, the country has exported goods to 200 countries and territories around the world.
Today, Vietnam has become an attractive destination for foreign investors with a registered FDI capital of 28.53 billion USD in 2020. Stable business environment, great potential, political stability, a market with nearly 100 million people and an abundant labour force of high quality along with legal framework empowering businesses to thrive have enabled Vietnam to become a destination of choice for many of the world's leading corporations.
Pursuing a foreign policy of independence, self-alliance through diversification and multilateralization of external relations, active and proactive international integration for peace, cooperation and development; Vietnam has established diplomatic relations with 189 out of 193 countries in the world. While being a reliable friend and partner of almost all the countries and a responsible member of the international community, the country focuses on combining diplomatic activities with economic cooperation, trade, investment, culture, science and technology, education, tourism and a number of other fields to serve the real cause of construction and national development.
Assumption of important international responsibilities as ASEAN Chair, AIPA Presidency in 2020 while continue to hold the non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 term exhibit the trust and affection of the international community towards this rising nation.
Since June 2014, Vietnam has officially sent forces to participate in UN peacekeeping operations. As of August 2020, the number of Vietnamese officers serving in the United Nations peacekeeping missions in the Central African Republic and South Sudan reached 50. National defense and security integration play an important role in enhancing Vietnam's position and prestige in the international arena.
The charm of Vietnam lies in its diverse culture with a number of world heritages recognized by UNESCO, along with its selective absorption of the world's cultural quintessence. The Vietnamese people have deep-rooted, patriotic spirits and a strong love for peace, independence and freedom. They cherish traditions, hardworking and creative in national building and development. Boasting a peaceful environment and a dynamic way of life where human values are respected and cherished, Vietnam offers its people a life full of success and happiness. The strength of the great national unity is consolidated while socialist democracy continues to be promoted.
