The victory news was brief on Voice of Vietnam Radio 49 years ago, but for Meritorious Artist Kim Cuc, it was a historic moment in her life when she was given the honor of reading a very special news: the victory news!
Also on the afternoon of April 30, 1975, at Saigon Radio, musician Trinh Cong Son sang the song “Joining Hands in a Big Circle”. The lyrics include: “Our hands hold/Joining a circle of Vietnam...”
From food shortage to rice exporting powerhouse
Nearly half a century has passed, April 30, 1975 is a brilliant milestone in the heroic history of the Vietnamese people; the greatest achievement of the cause of national liberation and reunification led by our Party and President Ho Chi Minh ; the invincible strength of the entire Vietnamese people.
Over the past 49 years, that spirit has continued to shine. From a country devastated by war, the Vietnamese people have once again "rose from the mud and shone brightly" (poem by Nguyen Dinh Thi), together building a strong country, as General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said on the occasion of the beginning of the Canh Ty Spring 2020 and the 90th Anniversary of the Founding of the Communist Party of Vietnam (February 3, 1930 - February 3, 2020): Our country has never had such a foundation, potential, position and prestige as it does today.
Before 1986, Vietnam had to import rice. In 1989, Vietnam exported rice for the first time, ending the rice shortage period and switching to export. To date, Vietnamese rice is present in more than 180 countries and territories. By the end of 2023, Vietnam's rice exports set a record in output and productivity with an export turnover of 4.78 billion USD, an increase of 36.6% compared to 2022. Currently, Vietnam is one of the 3 largest rice exporting countries in the world, accounting for about 15% of total global rice exports.
In 2024, the world will fluctuate and the global economy will continue to face difficulties. However, in the first quarter, our country's rice and agricultural product exports still achieved high value. Rice export turnover in January reached 362 million USD, up 7% over the same period last year. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, by the end of the first quarter of 2024, Vietnam's rice exports reached more than 2.1 million tons, worth nearly 1.4 billion USD; an increase of about 42% over the same period in 2023.
In 2023, Vietnam will have 6 agricultural products with export turnover of over 3 billion USD, including vegetables and fruits (5.69 billion USD), rice (4.78 billion USD), cashew nuts (3.63 billion USD), coffee (4.18 billion USD), shrimp (3.38 billion USD), wood and wood products (13.37 billion USD). In particular, durian exports have exploded, earning about 2.3 billion USD, becoming Vietnam's new "billion-dollar fruit".
In 2024, it is forecasted that Vietnamese agricultural products will continue to "expand their way to the sea". According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in 2024, the agricultural sector will accelerate in exports, with a total export turnover of agricultural, forestry and fishery products of about 54 - 55 billion USD.
From a country with food shortages and an importing country, Vietnam's trade balance has now tilted towards exports. In 2023, the country's trade balance of goods is estimated to have a trade surplus of 28 billion USD (in 2022, the trade surplus was 12.1 billion USD). In the first quarter of 2024 alone, the trade surplus was 8.08 billion USD.
Where the road goes, there is prosperity
Along with agriculture, one of the bright spots in recent times is the development of a modern highway and transportation system nationwide. At the conference to review the work of 2023 and deploy tasks for 2024, the leader of the Ministry of Transport said that in 2024, the goal is to increase the total number of highways in operation nationwide to 2,021 km. At the same time, it is necessary to submit to competent authorities for approval of the investment policy for the North-South high-speed railway project, speeding up the preparation for investment in important national railway routes such as Ho Chi Minh City - Can Tho, Bien Hoa - Vung Tau, Long Thanh - Thu Thiem, Lao Cai - Hanoi - Hai Phong.
In addition to the 3 expressway projects managed by the Ministry of Transport that will start construction in 2024 (Dau Giay - Tan Phu; Cho Moi - Bac Kan; Lo Te - Rach Soi expressway), there will be 11 more expressway projects managed by localities that will start construction in 2024.
In recent times, the process of building expressways in Vietnam has developed very strongly. The goal is that by 2025, our country will have about 3,000km of expressways and complete the North-South expressway in the East; by 2050, the country will have about 5,000km of expressways.
With the spirit of “leading the way”, many key projects of the transport sector have been completed and put into operation, promoting efficiency. Of which, 1,580km of expressway has been completed.
Wherever the roads go, prosperity follows. The country's road, rail, air and waterway transport systems are rapidly modernizing. This is the result of the Party and State's major policy of prioritizing the development of the transport system, with transport "going first to pave the way".
In the context of economic difficulties, it is difficult to imagine that the country has built such a solid transportation system. It is a vivid manifestation of the determination to dare to think, dare to do, take shortcuts, and accelerate the country's socio-economic development.
Vietnam, a bright spot in the fight against poverty
Accelerating economic development, but social security is always closely concerned by the Party and State, with the spirit of "leaving no one behind".
At the Dialogue between the Ministry of Labor, War Invalids and Social Affairs and the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to development, regarding the implementation of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; Vietnam is considered by the international community as a bright spot in the world in the fight against poverty and one of the pioneering countries in approaching and applying multidimensional poverty reduction methods to achieve the goal of universal social security and sustainable poverty reduction.
The global human development report compiled by UNDP also shows that Vietnam's human development index has always improved and Vietnam has been ranked in the high human development group since 2019.
At the seminar, Mr. Surya Deva - the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to development highly appreciated the achievements that Vietnam has made in the fight against poverty. The poverty rate has continuously decreased over the years. The achievements are especially prominent in ethnic minority areas, mountainous areas, remote areas where socio-economic conditions are still difficult. The United Nations always considers Vietnam a bright spot in implementing the Millennium Development Goals on hunger eradication and poverty reduction.
Considered a “revolution”, Vietnam’s poverty reduction program has been recognized by the international community for many years as a bright spot in poverty reduction and is the only country in Asia to implement a multidimensional, inclusive, and sustainable poverty reduction program. According to the Global Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) report released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative (OPHI) at Oxford University on July 15, 2023, Vietnam is one of 25 countries that have reduced the MPI index by half within 15 years.
Over the years, poverty reduction movements, for the poor, helping the poor escape poverty and become rich have been effectively implemented nationwide. “For the poor - leaving no one behind” has in fact become a “command from the heart” for all people and businesses.
49 years since the Victory Day, the day of national reunification, the day when “ We return to our children/Blood mixed with blood as red as vermillion ” (poem by To Huu), the country has made great strides on the road to prosperity; fulfilling the wish of beloved Uncle Ho: to step up to the stage of glory to stand shoulder to shoulder with the great powers of the five continents (Letter to students on the occasion of the first school opening day of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam”, September 15, 1945, by President Ho Chi Minh).
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