He highlighted Vietnam’s remarkable achievements, noting that the country has transformed from one facing food shortages and ranking among the world’s 20 poorest nations into one of the world’s leading rice exporters, among the top 32 largest economies globally, and one of the top 15 countries in trade volume and foreign investment attraction.
Sharing Vietnam’s development experience, Mr. Lam said,“People are the center, the goal, and the driving force of development. Development is not only about GDP growth; it must be measured by better lives for the people, educational opportunities for children, stable jobs for workers, community safety, and public trust.”
Guided by the principle that ‘the people are the root,’ Vietnam consistently links economic growth with poverty reduction, social welfare, education, healthcare, rural development, and improvements in quality of life, he noted. “The people are not only beneficiaries, but also creators, participants, and masters of the development process.”
The Vietnamese leader also proposed key directions for future cooperation between the two countries, including strengthening exchanges of experience in legislation, oversight, administrative reform, digital transformation, lawmaking for sustainable development, protection of vulnerable groups, promotion of gender equality, and creating opportunities for youth.
Earlier, Mr. Lam laid flowers at the Ho Chi Minh Monument and visited the Ho Chi Minh cultural space at the Colombo Community Library.
