Tiếng Anh
General Secretary Tô Lâm at the 50th Anniversary of Petrovietnam's Establishment
(PetroTimes) - On September 21, General Secretary Tô Lâm attended and delivered a guiding speech at the Ceremony commemorating the 50th founding anniversary of the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (Petrovietnam). PetroTimes is honored to present the full text of the speech by General Secretary Tô Lâm:
Esteemed Leaders, Former Leaders of the Party, State, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front,
Distinguished delegates, national and international guests,
Generations of officials, Party members, workers, engineers, and experts of the Vietnam National Energy - Industry Group!
Today, amidst the heroic resonance of the historic autumn marking the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day (September 2nd), we reflect on the half-century of development of the Vietnam National Energy - Industry Group. This journey was written by the will for national self-reliance and self-strengthening, fueled by Vietnamese intellect and aspiration.
Guided by the determination and light of the Party and President Hồ Chí Minh, we navigated the initial days of "seeking the source of fire," "black gold," "liquid gold," and the "lifeblood of modern industry" through countless hardships to establish the energy-industry ecosystem we have today. Petrovietnam has made an epochal shift, becoming the National Energy - Industry Group—a symbol of state-owned enterprises, holding a crucial role in the cause of national construction, defense, and development. The Party, State, and People have recognized and bestowed numerous noble awards upon the Group: the First-Class Independence Order, the Gold Star Order, the Hồ Chí Minh Order, the First-Class Fatherland Defense Order, and the title of Hero of Labor.
On behalf of the Leaders of the Party and the State, I extend congratulations to the generations of leaders, engineers, and workers of Petrovietnam. I thank all international partners and friends who have accompanied us. I wish the energy-industry sector continued breakthroughs, deserving of the indomitable spirit, pioneering tradition, and soaring aspiration of the heroic Vietnamese nation. Congratulations to the Vietnam National Energy - Industry Group and the individuals honored with the Labor Order at this solemn ceremony.
Recognizing Achievements and Core Lessons
Dear comrades,
Looking back at the past 50 years, Petrovietnam has made enormous contributions, consistently achieving 20% to 30% of the total State budget revenue for many years. This significantly contributes to macroeconomic stability and ensures national energy security. Furthermore, it has helped maintain the lifeblood of society and contributed to protecting the regime's security during challenging times amidst global political fluctuations.
Petrovietnam has mastered many modern, world-class technologies, affirming its position as a leading state-owned enterprise and a pioneer in international economic integration. Notably, through intellect and creativity, we have designed, manufactured, and constructed the DK rig houses. We have achieved self-sufficiency in researching, producing, and supplying specialized fuels for national defense and security. Through economic activities, we have directly contributed to safeguarding national security at sea, facilitating international integration, and utilizing soft power to elevate the country’s stature. Your intellect, creativity, and dedication to your profession and country have contributed to global oil and gas knowledge. Crucially, you have designed, manufactured, and constructed the DK rig houses that stand prominently in the East Sea within Vietnam’s sovereign maritime zones.
In the past 2020-2025 term, despite countless difficulties and challenges, you achieved outstanding results, exemplified by the "5 Secures" mission and the "5 Foremost" achievements reported by the Party Secretary and Chairman of the Member Council. The core lessons here are: Execution Discipline - Risk Management - Continuous Innovation - Value Chain Linkage.
I also highly appreciate Petrovietnam's "5 Secures" and "5 Foremost" achievements, which include fundamental and highly memorable contributions to your social welfare efforts. This is one of your "Foremost" accomplishments, which has enhanced the lives of Petrovietnam Group's workers and employees, improved the lives of poor compatriots in difficult areas, participated in eliminating temporary housing, and developed health, education, and social activities.
Today, I also commend Petrovietnam's initiative regarding the "STEM Education and Practice Program." Through programs accompanying education, Petrovietnam has established STEM classrooms in many localities—a model for nurturing future scientific and technological human resources, and a model for exploiting human resources in the digital age. On this occasion, I propose that the Minister of Education and Training, the Provincial/City Party Secretaries, and the General Director of Vietnam Television closely coordinate with Petrovietnam to efficiently implement and systematically connect this meaningful program; to summarize, evaluate, draw lessons, and further replicate this significant model and program.
This directly implements key resolutions of the Politburo. These STEM classrooms will be a vital source of creativity and scientific/technological training in our new era. I am confident that many students accessing these STEM classrooms will become future engineers, workers, and employees in Petrovietnam and other critical national industries.
Charting the Future: From Resource Exploitation to Knowledge Creation
During my state visits and working trips to various countries, I have witnessed the Petrovietnam brand expanding internationally, present in dozens of nations. Currently, statistics show Petrovietnam has established a presence and cooperation in 34 countries. This is a "Vietnamese pride" reaching out to the world.
Reflecting on Petrovietnam’s 50-year development, I can draw a few conclusions. Your fundamental conclusion today identified aspiration and will. It is true that with aspiration and will, we can focus our efforts. The aspiration stems from President Hồ Chí Minh's question: When will we have oil and gas? And the firm belief was that having a 1 million km$^2$ sea area means we certainly have oil and gas. At that time, our country faced immense difficulties and lacked infrastructure, yet we contemplated this. This aspiration and will, realized over 50 years, can be summarized in four words: success and self-mastery. You have achieved self-mastery over the oil and gas industry, and you have expanded this into the energy industry—a scope far greater than oil and gas alone. This is maturity and self-mastery. We have mastered all of these technologies, contributing to the development of the global oil and gas and energy sectors, striving towards clean energy and green energy, moving beyond our initial phase of development. This new phase clearly directs us toward technology and development. There is no other path; without technology, development is impossible.
Your success over the past 50 years is a direct result of your focus on developing science and technology. This is the pathway for our new era, the foundation Petrovietnam must rely on for the next 50 to 100 years.
The exhibition today is a source of pride and clearly demonstrates this. You have achieved not only technological self-mastery but self-mastery in many aspects. Only technology will allow us to develop quickly and sustainably.
Strategic Direction for the Next Phase
Dear comrades,
The world is rapidly shifting towards the green economy, digital economy, and smart Artificial Intelligence, with unprecedented breakthroughs in technology and governance. Alongside opportunities, geopolitical factors, strategic competition, and the disruption and restructuring of global energy supply chains are increasingly complex and unpredictable. This creates an urgent requirement for every nation to ensure energy security, economic security, and national defense security.
In this context, the Central Committee and the Politburo have issued many new, breakthrough, and strategic guidelines, such as Resolutions from the 11th and 12th Central Committee Plenums, and Resolutions 57, 59, 66, 68, 70, 71, and 72 of the Politburo, to achieve three critical objectives: (i) Maintain peace and stability; (ii) Achieve rapid, sustainable economic development; and (iii) Improve the people's quality of life. These are crucial strategic orientations for national development in the coming period that every level, sector, and organization must concretize, thoroughly grasp, and implement. For Petrovietnam, you are further responsible for implementing Conclusion 76 of the Politburo on the strategic development orientation for Vietnam's oil and gas sector up to 2025 and vision to 2035, along with orientations for the new phase. This serves as the lodestar for Petrovietnam to transition from “resource exploitation” to “energy - industry - knowledge creation.”
Dear comrades,
We have transitioned from a traditional oil and gas group to the Vietnam National Energy - Industry Group; this is a fundamental preparation for entering a new phase. Soon, the Politburo will discuss and issue a resolution on the development of the state-owned economy. Accordingly, one of the main tasks and solutions is to focus investment and develop a number of large-scale state-owned economic groups that play a leading role in key, strategic sectors of the economy. From this perspective, the Party and State place high expectations on Petrovietnam. Therefore, I propose that in the new development strategy, you must focus on the following:
First, firmly ensure national energy security: Architect a "3-layer model": stable traditional sources, flexible sources (LNG, storage, etc.), and new sources (wind power, nuclear power, etc.). Proactively build strategic reserve capacity, regulate, supply, and flexibly dispatch energy, linking it to energy security, national defense security, and economic independence/self-reliance.
We are a maritime nation with a sea area of over 1 million km$^2$, triple the land area. This presents an opportunity for our country's development. I am delighted that you have achieved self-mastery over the maritime economy, exploiting resources on the surface, beneath the water, and on the seabed. These are excellent opportunities, involving not only energy but many other resources. Your summaries and orientations are highly important.
Second, lead industrialization and modernization: Develop industry and technical services into a key pillar. Focus on perfecting and expanding integrated refinery-petrochemical-chemical complexes. Develop manufacturing capabilities for drilling rigs, energy equipment, and new materials, increasing the domestic content ratio in the supply chain. Build national ecological energy-industry centers, linked to infrastructure and supporting industries. Accelerate high-tech technical services, gradually transforming Petrovietnam into a leading regional industrial-technical contractor.
Third, a pioneer in science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation: Allocate sufficient resources for Research and Development (R&D) activities to create new products and services, especially in key areas. Accelerate the application of digital technology, Artificial Intelligence, and Big Data. Currently, science and technology is the only pathway for development over the next 50 to 100 years. Your orientation here is very focused and strategic. Petrovietnam's recent development is directly attributable to strong investment in science and technology.
Fourth, renovate governance: Perfect the corporate governance model in line with international practices to enhance efficiency and safety. Strengthen execution discipline, prevent loss and waste, and ensure the principles of transparency, integrity, efficiency, and sustainability.
Fifth, proactively integrate internationally and leverage the strength of economic sectors to promote joint development: Concentrate on strategic cooperation with global strategic partners. Deeply participate in the international energy and industrial value chain, establishing the Petrovietnam brand as the "economic-industrial ambassador" of Vietnam. Simultaneously, link the chain with domestic economic sectors; encourage the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in implementing investment projects; and create conditions for private enterprises to deeply participate in technical services, mechanical manufacturing, and supporting industries, based on the principle of co-development, shared benefits, and commitment to national interests. Fulfill the goal of making Petrovietnam one of the world's 500 largest enterprises by 2030.
A Message to Petrovietnam and Related Agencies
On this momentous anniversary, I present Petrovietnam with eight core words: "Pioneering - Superior - Sustainable - Global."
Pioneering to lead the cause of industrialization, modernization, energy transition, digital transformation, and greening, elevating integration and affirming Vietnamese capabilities and intellect.
Superior in efficiency, competitiveness, and innovation, becoming an exemplary model of a state-owned enterprise.
Sustainable in vision and action, achieving harmonious development between economic growth, environmental protection, social welfare, and national responsibility.
Global in aspiration and strength, venturing into the greater ocean, positioning Vietnam on the international stage, and standing confidently among the world's leading enterprises.
Realizing this great aspiration demands continued extraordinary effort from you, coupled with effective support from the political system. On this occasion, I have a few requests for the relevant agencies:
The Party Committee of the National Assembly is requested to direct the National Assembly to complete the legal framework, creating a legal corridor for a competitive energy market and maximizing the efficiency of state-owned enterprises.
The Party Committee of the Government is requested to direct the Government to concretize the Politburo's guidelines within Petrovietnam's operational charter. Continue to implement thorough decentralization and delegation of authority vigorously. Build specific mechanisms for strategic energy projects. Ensure clear assignment and orientation for all economic sectors to develop together.
Ministries, sectors, and localities must coordinate, guide, and create a transparent business environment, resolving bottlenecks and constraints to facilitate development. Implement spatial and infrastructure planning, and simultaneously build national ecological energy-industry centers.
I firmly believe that with your glorious tradition, capability, intellect, professionalism, and compassion, and with your faith and soaring aspiration, Petrovietnam will continue to be a pillar of the economy, a “National Enterprise” acting in the national interest, and a source of pride for the Party, State, and People. You will contribute to realizing the country's two 100-year goals and the aspiration to build a strong, prosperous Vietnam.
On behalf of the Party and State leaders, I warmly commend and congratulate the Vietnam National Energy - Industry Group on its great achievements over the past 50 years.
I wish Petrovietnam continued new successes. I wish all delegates and employees of Petrovietnam health, happiness, and success.
Thank you very much!
