Timely honoring of artists with many achievements and contributions to the country

Distinguished delegates and esteemed guests!

Dear authors and relatives of authors whose works or collections of works have been awarded the Ho Chi Minh Prize and the State Prize for Literature and Art!

Today is a special day, May 19th - the 133rd anniversary of the birth of our beloved President Ho Chi Minh. Filled with emotion and pride in his noble life and career, we have chosen this special day to hold the awarding ceremony for the Ho Chi Minh Prize and the State Prize for Literature and Art. I am very pleased to be here with the Party and State leaders to present these prestigious awards.

On behalf of the Party and State leaders, I extend my sincere greetings, warm regards, and best wishes to all delegates, distinguished guests, and comrades!

Distinguished delegates, esteemed guests, comrades!

President Ho Chi Minh affirmed: "Culture illuminates the path for the nation to follow." Deeply aware of the role of culture in general, and literature and art in particular, the Party considers: "Literature and art are a very important and particularly subtle field of culture; they are an essential need, expressing the aspirations for truth, goodness, and beauty of humankind; they are one of the great driving forces that directly contribute to building the spiritual foundation of society and the comprehensive development of Vietnamese people." The Party and State always pay attention to, respect, encourage, commend, and create all conditions for artists to create many works of ideological and artistic value that meet the cultural and spiritual needs of the people, contributing to building a comprehensively developed Vietnamese culture and people, imbued with national spirit, humanism, democracy, and science .

President Vo Van Thuong delivered a speech.

The 1943 Outline on Vietnamese Culture, with its three principles of Nationalization, Popularization, and Scientification, became the banner that rallied intellectuals and artists to answer the call of the nation, participating in the great resistance war led by the Party, serving the revolution, the people, and the Fatherland. Throughout the wars for independence, freedom, and national reunification, generations of artists dedicated their youth, their lives, intellect, and talent to the revolutionary cause, creating valuable works that greatly contributed to miracles and affirmed the dignity of the Vietnamese people in the face of enemy bombs and bullets. Many bravely sacrificed their lives as artist-soldiers. Many works created during those years have become precious legacies of the nation.

During the period of renovation, national construction, and defense, the artistic community has inherited and promoted cultural traditions, patriotism, and humanism, deeply committed to the revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation. They continue to produce works diverse in subject matter, rich in genre and expression, profound in thought, reflecting the great achievements of historical significance in the renovation process, as well as the new, pressing issues of the times and the country today.

In this solemn ceremony, we together express our deepest gratitude to the generations of artists and writers who bravely sacrificed themselves in the revolutionary cause. We also honor those artists and writers who, through their creative talent and tireless work, have produced works and collections of works of exceptional value in terms of ideological content and artistic form; works that have had a profound impact on the revolutionary cause, a broad and lasting influence on social life, contributing to the building of a new kind of person, raising the aesthetic level and awareness of the people, and contributing to the development of an advanced Vietnamese culture, literature, and art rich in national identity.

I wholeheartedly commend and congratulate the great achievements that Vietnamese artists and writers have made in recent years; and I warmly congratulate the authors and their families whose works or collections of works have been awarded the Ho Chi Minh Prize and the State Prize for Literature and Art in 2022.

Over the past period, agencies have strived to innovate the process of awarding the Ho Chi Minh Prize and the State Prize for Literature and Arts to meet the requirements and objectives of these prestigious awards and to suit the realities of literature and art in the new era.

I propose that, in the future, with the spirit of honoring artists and writers who have dedicated their lives to the Revolution and to the national literature and art, and understanding the exceptional creativity, invaluable contributions, and widespread influence of these artists and writers on the Revolution and the nation, and in accordance with our sincere and profound gratitude, we must not "overlook" truly valuable works, and we must not let deserving artists and writers go unacknowledged.

Distinguished delegates, honored guests, and comrades!

Our country is steadily progressing through a new stage of development, requiring the strong promotion of the Vietnamese people's strength and Vietnamese culture – the driving force and important endogenous resource for sustainable development.

President Vo Van Thuong presents the Ho Chi Minh Prize to the authors and representatives of the authors' families.

At the 2021 National Cultural Conference, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong emphasized: "As long as culture exists, the nation exists." Cultural activists and creators, artists and writers, are the ones who light the torch, keep the flame burning, and pass it on, playing a crucial role in preserving and developing culture. They are a representative intellectual force, always sensitive to the times, with many foresights about the future, and through their artistic creations, they have the ability to guide thought and aesthetics and cultivate progressive and humanistic values.

In the face of current challenges and threats to human dignity, our country needs more works of high ideological and artistic value. These are works that reflect the vibrant realities of social life, the scale of the reform process in all fields, promote a healthy democratic life, reflect the beauty of the Vietnamese soul, and the great aspirations of the entire nation.

More than ever, the nation and its people urgently need the dedication and courage of artists and writers. With a creative mindset, a sense of responsibility, and a deep commitment to the common cause, in the face of the vicissitudes of the times, artists and writers need unwavering resolve and clear-sightedness to overcome external challenges and surpass themselves. They must explore and reflect the diverse dimensions of social life, affirming the mainstream and positive currents. At the same time, they must explore the depths of the human psyche, decipher the rich layers of emotion, and resolve the cognitive conflicts in the struggle between good and evil, nobility and baseness, between serving the people with love and responsibility and selfish personal gain…

The Party, the State, and the People continue to trust in and await new works of literature and art that are on par with the revolutionary cause of our Party and People. Through diverse and rich forms of literature and art, these works directly cultivate and enhance the qualities of Vietnamese citizens and people in the new era, spreading and nurturing positive values, inspiring optimism, passion for work, responsibility, discipline, creativity, national pride and self-respect, revolutionary heroism, the spirit of great unity, self-reliance, and the aspiration for a prosperous, strong, and happy Vietnam.

Distinguished delegates and comrades!

We are standing on the threshold of the 50th anniversary of the reunification of our country. Along with reviewing the overall achievements of the past 50 years, this is also an opportunity to comprehensively and deeply assess 50 years of our national literature and arts.

I propose that agencies, organizations, ministries, departments, and localities continue to deeply understand the role of culture, literature, art, and artists in the development of literature and art and the building of Vietnamese culture. Continue to unite and rally Vietnamese artists, and promptly honor and commend those artists who have made significant achievements and contributions to the country.

Emphasis should be placed on establishing a democratic environment, respecting artistic creativity, expanding the scope of freedom in creative work, and fostering literary and artistic talent. Attention should also be paid to the well-being of artists and writers, enabling them to earn a living from their profession, through their talent and dedication.

We particularly encourage young artists and writers to engage with the vast and vibrant realities of social life, to explore the beauty of the Vietnamese people; to innovate creative thinking, and to seek new artistic techniques to convincingly convey the depth of thought and humanism, in a way that resonates with young people, attracts the public, brings traditional culture into the modern era, and spreads love of life and beautiful aspirations.

Government agencies need to research and develop effective mechanisms to promote and introduce excellent works to the public both domestically and internationally. Through literature and art, the appeal of national cultural identity should be enhanced; the best of human culture should be selectively absorbed and adapted; the strength of Vietnamese culture and people should be promoted; and the image of Vietnam, its land, and its people should be presented to the world, while simultaneously building Vietnam into an attractive destination for international cultural exchange.

Distinguished delegates, comrades!

With all my admiration and affection, on behalf of the Party, the State, and the public, I would like to wish all artists and writers continued love of life, abundant inspiration, passionate creativity, the development of their creative talents, and the contribution of many valuable new works, making worthy contributions to the cause of building and defending the Fatherland, fulfilling the trust, love, and expectations of our people, Party, and State.

With heartfelt wishes for health, happiness, and success to all artists, their families, and distinguished guests!

Thank you very much!

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/kip-thoi-ton-vinh-cac-van-nghe-si-co-nhieu-thanh-tuu-cong-hien-cho-dat-nuoc-post248392.html