Intervention by the head of the delegation from the Communist Party of
Vietnam at the International Conference in Athens (22-24.05.98)
Dear comrades and friends,
The International Conference of Communist and Workers’ Parties being held in Athens on
the initiative of the Communist Party of Greece (CPG) is taking place at a time of many
significant anniversaries: it is 180 years since Karl Marx’s birth, 150 years since the Manifesto
of the Communist Party was published and 80 years since the founding of the CPG. It is
a pleasure and an honour for us to represent Vietnamese communists at this important
meeting, and we would like to thank the CPG for its invitation and for the warm welcome it
has accorded to our delegation.
Dear comrades,
We are celebrating the 180th anniversary of the birth of Karl Max and the 150th
anniversary of the publication of the Manifesto of the Communist Party, at a time
when the history of mankind is going through many adversities, at the end of the 20th
century and on the threshold of the 21st. Despite the fact that the state of the world has
seen profound realignments, continuous and particularly complex developments with
unforeseeable consequences, the most basic contradictions of our age continue to exist and
are evolving in all sectors: political, economic, ideological, cultural, scientific,
technological, etc. These contradictions are seen in new forms and are proving to be
deeper in certain of their aspects. Once again, Marxism must be subjected to judgement and
to the very stern tests of history.
Marxism has had 150 years of life, if we consider the publication of the Manifesto of
the Communist Party as its starting point. The evolution of human society during this
century and a half has proved the correctness, the vital strength and the great role of
Marxism. At the same time, the scientific and revolutionary nature of Marxist theory
always requires that it be intelligently and creatively applied and developed. Because we
can say that Marxism is an "open" doctrine. It equips us with
A world theory, with a scientific methology that enables us life by ourselves to find
appropriate solutions to the particular problems raised by cause of the revolution and by
community life. It does not constitute a "fixed and invariable" prescription,
but must always be supplemented and developed so as to be adaptable in the new conditions
of the age, in the special conditions of each nation. Lenin gave communists a spectacular
example of the right attitude toward Marxism. What must be applied in an exceptionally
creative way and in particular must be developed ceaselessly under the new conditions is
the exemplary faith in materialist and dialectical world theory, in the scientific
principles of thought and in the revolutionary spirit of Marxist theory.
Owing to its intelligent and creative application, and to the scientific genius of Lenin,
at the beginning of the 20th century, Marxism became Marxism-Leninism; socialism made the
transition from scientific theory to reality. Marx’s revolutionary theory was
transformed into a vast existing power with the ability to remake the world, and to open a
new age for human society.
Dear comrades and friends,
In November the CPG will celebrate the 80th anniversary of its founding. The eighty-year
history of the CPG is a history of brave struggles and great sacrifices. Greek communists,
patriots and progressive people mounted an antifascist armed struggle full of hardships
during World War II, and, right after the war, struggles against foreign interventions to
maintain its national independence and freedom, that were followed by years of underground
activity when the party was outlawed in the bloody repression imposed by the dictatorial
military regime. And recently they suffered the disastrous results of the setbacks in the
socialist countries of Eastern Europe and in the Soviet Union in the late 1980s and early
90s. All these ordeals were extremely harsh. Greek communists, however, with an
indomitable spirit, overcame them all and their ranks continue to grow. In these difficult
moments, the Greek comrades steadfastly and unwaveringly proclaimed their Marxist-Leninist
viewpoint, their firm faith in the goals and ideals of socialism, showing a creative
spirit and flexibility in the strategies they used in the struggle for a better life for
the people, for democracy and for social progress. Vietnamese communists have always been
interested in and delighted by the gains made by Greek communists. Allow me to address
warm congratulations to you, and the wish that your Party may continue to achieve even
greater gains, to become stronger and to keep growing.
Dear comrades,
The 6th Congress of the CP of Vietnam in 1986 launched the political line of renewal in
all aspects, in accordance with socialist orientations. Our Party has the following view
of renewal: the positive results achieved must be publicised, whatever is not useful must
be written off, progressive innovations must be made and renewal should be undertaken
through correct steps at a sensible pace. The task of renewal, which meets the
expectations of the populace, is supported by all the popular strata, which is why they
take an active part in it.
After ten years of renewal, our country has seen major achievements. Based on these
results, our Party’s 8th Congress in 1996 deemed that Vietnam passed into a new period
of growth, in which the country’s industrialisation and modernisation accelerated.
Standing firmly on the path toward renewal, the 8th Congress set out the following goals:
Unswervingly to carry on our two strategic tasks, building socialism and arming our
country; to step up the process of industrialising and modernising our country; to make
Vietnam a country in which the most significant sectors will have been industrialised by
the year 2020.
Having examined and evaluated the two years during which the decisions of the 8th Congress
were implemented, the 4th Plenum of the Central Committee of our Party which met in
December of 1997, confirmed the correctness of our political line of renewal and
formulated the decisive idea that guides all our economic policies and choices up to the
year 2000: "We should continue to promote the work of renewal; to be vigilant and to
demonstrate our internal strength; to improve the effectiveness of international
co-operation; to save so that we have the resources required for industrialisation and
modernisation; to enhance the efficiency and competitiveness of our economy; to link
economic development with the growth of education and culture; to put social justice and
progress into practice. To strengthen our spirit and rely on our own faculties and our own
means, to maintain our national identity within the process of globalisation. To link our
economic and social renewal closely with reforms of the state mechanism and the
administrative system, to build our Party so that it will be able to meet the requirements
of this new period."
We are proud of our achievements in the cause of the revolution to date, proud of our
national liberation resistance in the past, and of our present task of renewal; and we are
growing even stronger with the approval and support of our friends in the international
community, and above all from communist parties, and from democratic and progressive
forces throughout the world On the occasion of this meeting, I would like to express the
sincere thanks of the communists and the people of Vietnam for this valuable support. I
would also like to declare to you that we will strive always to be worthy of your support
and confidence.
Thank you for attention.