The late Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet was a steadfast communist soldier, an excellent student of President Ho Chi Minh, and a talented leader of our Party and State, who sacrificed all his life for the goal of national independence and socialism. His ideals, talents, morality and outstanding thinking contributed to the formation of strategic decisions of the Party with historical significance for the country’s development.

Comrade Vo Van Kiet, whose real name is Phan Van Hoa, alias Sau Dan, was born on November 23, 1922 into a poor farmer family in Trung Hiep commune, Vung Liem district, Vinh Long province. His difficult childhood and the cultural and patriotic traditions of the homeland soon enlightened and fostered his revolutionary ideals. In 1938, at the age of 17, he joined the Anti-Imperialism Youth Movement and later became a member of the Indochinese Communist Party. Since then, his life and career were attached with the history of the heroic revolutionary struggle of the Party and the nation. During the two resistance wars against the French colonialists and the U.S imperialists, he was always present in the fierce Southern battlefield, holding key responsibilities, and together with his compatriots and soldiers, overcoming countless hardships and sacrifices, making great feats, and making important contributions to the great victory of the nation.

Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet visits and encourages workers of the 500-KV- power transmission line in Quang Nam - Da Nang province

After the unification of the country, in whatever positions he held, especially when he became the Prime Minister, Kiet always proved himself a talented and virtuous leader. With bravery, strategic thinking and vision, his enterprise, and responsibility, he always researched and struggled to implement the national renewal policy initiated and led by our Party with dynamic, bold and practical decisions. As a result, our national renewal cause has achieved many important and historical achievements in the fields of economy, politics, culture, society, national defence, security, foreign affairs, etc.

Outstanding contributions in the country's socio-economic development achievements

When the country was peaceful and unified, in the positions of Deputy Secretary of the City Party Committee, President of the People's Committee, and Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Party Committee, Kiet made dynamic and bold decisions to remove difficulties and obstacles, and stabilise the situation of the city in the early years of liberation. He was called by the people as "Rice President" for quickly solving the city's serious food shortage in the years of 1980 and 1981; or "Fence breaking Secretary" because he has overcome the old way of thinking, adhered to the requirements of reality, deeply understood and proposed creative measures to solve difficulties for the city's state-owned enterprises, making it easy for the boost of production, thereby gradually eliminating the situation of "trading blockage" in the Mekong Delta, saving people's hunger, saving the city's economy, and creating a solid premise to make Ho Chi Minh City an economic locomotive of the country later.

In the period of national renewal, as the head of the Government, with the outstanding personality of being close to reality, ready to commit to the new, he has mobilised many social forces into the comprehensive and profound reform of the Party and State. In which, the most prominent are his contributions on theory and practice to transform the economy as the basis and premise for our country to gradually shift from a centrally planned, bureaucratic and subsidised economy to a multi-sector commodity economy, operating under the market mechanism with the management of the State (later the socialist-oriented market economy). Thereby, great motivation and productive power in society have been tapped into. Vietnam, from a war-torn country, on the brink of crisis with "galloping" inflation, ... gradually stabilised its socio-economic situation. It not only ended food import but also became one of the world's leading rice exporters.

Kiet was honoured as "The Architect of Innovation", a talented constructor of great decisions and projects that motivated and planted seeds for creative ideas. The development of industries such as oil and gas, telecommunications, aviation, large state corporations, and important infrastructures, etc. were all initiated, directed and implemented by him. The country's century works attributed to him can be named: Large power projects (Tri An, Thac Mo, Yaly, Ham Thuan - Da Mi, Song Hinh, Phu My, Ca Mau); North - South 500 KV power transmission line; traffic works (North Thang Long - Noi Bai expressway, Lang - Hoa Lac highway, Ho Chi Minh road, My Thuan bridge); T5 canal to flow flood water out to the West Sea; exploitation of Dong Thap Muoi and Long Xuyen Quadrangle, sweetening Ca Mau peninsula, Dung Quat Oil Refinery, Yen Phu dike, etc. These projects not only directly contribute to improving our people’s living standards, but also affirm his enthusiasm, vision, wisdom, talent and extraordinary efforts in implementing the Party's guidelines, contributing to the economic, cultural and social construction and development of the country.

Great contributions in foreign affairs

Realising the importance of foreign affairs, as the Prime Minister, Kiet, together with the Politburo and the Party Central Committee, actively carried out the foreign policy that "Vietnam wants to make friends with all countries in the world, striving for peace, independence and development”, to steer the Vietnamese revolutionary boat out to the great sea, forming a “multilateral” and diversified" foreign policy in international relations, establishing regional and world economic linkages. As for neighbouring and regional countries, he advocated solving problems through negotiation and cooperation for development. As for the U.S, he advocated "closing the past", looking to the future. At the same time, he decided that Vietnam would continue to strengthen relations with old friends such as the Nordic bloc, Eastern Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), and actively participate in international financial institutions. Thanks to the open foreign policy, Vietnam has brought into play its internal strength, escaped from encirclement and embargo, resolved the Cambodia issue and normalised relations with all neighbouring countries and regions, including Northeast Asian countries (China, Korea, Japan), which later became strategic partners of Vietnam. With drastic thinking and actions, Kiet sent new messages to the world about Vietnam, a country that aspires to peace and development. His important contributions in foreign affairs contributed to bringing the country out of the socio-economic crisis, improving people's lives, maintaining national defence and security, and constantly expanding foreign relations, gradually affirming the value and enhancing the position of Vietnam in the international arena.

Strengthening and consolidating national defence and security

With a comprehensive and strategic thinking and vision, Kiet was always aware of the close and inseparable relationship between the national construction and defence. Therefore, in the overall governance, he determined that it is necessary to maintain peace and stability in order to create a favourable environment for national construction, especially economic development, industrialisation and modernisation. On the contrary, only by economic development, creating new wealth and materials, can we create solid capabilities and potentials to strengthen defence and protect national security, consolidate peace and maintain stability of the country. On that basis, he directed to promulgate many decrees and directives of important significance, bringing practical effects in practice, such as Decree No. 19-CP, dated March 12, 1994 of the Government on national defence work in ministries, ministerial-level agencies, governmental agencies and localities; Decree No. 71-CP, dated July 13, 1994 of the Government on defence education in the system of political schools, administration and mass organisations; Decree No. 36-CP, dated May 29, 1995 of the Government on assurance of road traffic safety and urban traffic order and safety; Directive No. 406/CT-TTg, dated August 08th 1994 of the Prime Minister on banning the production, trading and burning of firecrackers, etc. In addition, he always paid attention to directing and taking care of building strong armed forces, gradually improving the living standards of officers and soldiers. As a result, the overall quality and combat power of the people's armed forces have been continuously improved. The all-people defence posture and people's security posture have been consolidated. The protection of political security, social order and safety has been strengthened.

The life and revolutionary career of the late Prime Minister Vo Van Kiet was not only associated with great contributions to the Party, the revolution, and the people, but also a great example of morality and dignity. Especially, his steadfastness, loyalty, and revolutionary will and actions were always linked together and turned into drastic actions. Regardless of hardships and circumstances, he overcame all difficulties and obstacles to complete the tasks assigned by the Party, State and the People. That earned him great attraction, conquered people's hearts, united, and motivated the entire people to fight and work selflessly for the cause of national liberation, construction and defence of the socialist Fatherland.

Celebrating the centenary of his birthday is an opportunity for us to honour his great and important contributions to the glorious revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation. At the same time, this helps to educate the tradition of revolutionary history, patriotism, political thought, morality, lifestyle, will, and the aspiration to dedicate and rise up for people of all strata in the cause of developing and defending the Vietnam Socialist Fatherland.

Dr. LE THI THU HONG, the Institute of Ho Chi Minh and Party leaders