President Luong Cuong, along with other Party and State leaders and leaders of Lao Cai province, attended the ceremony.

The youth of Lao Cai province presented flowers to President Luong Cuong and the delegation.

The people of Cam Duong ward welcomed the President and the delegation.

Also attending the ceremony were Mr. Tran Hong Ha - Deputy Prime Minister; Mr. Nguyen Thi Thanh - Vice Chairwoman of the National Assembly; Mr. Tran Duc Thang - Member of the Political Bureau, Minister of Agriculture and Environment; leaders of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, central ministries and agencies, and Military Region 2.

Delegates attending the launching ceremony of the "Tree Planting Festival in Eternal Gratitude to President Ho Chi Minh" in the Spring of the Year of the Horse 2026.

Representing Lao Cai province were Mr. Trinh Viet Hung - Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; members of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee; leaders of the Provincial People's Council, Provincial People's Committee, Provincial Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and the Provincial National Assembly Delegation; various departments and agencies; and a large number of people from Cam Duong ward.

At the launching ceremony, Mr. Tran Duc Thang, Member of the Political Bureau and Minister of Agriculture and Environment, reported on the national forest protection and development work in 2025 and the key tasks for 2026. Accordingly, in recent years, all levels, sectors, and people nationwide have actively participated in tree planting, forest protection, and development, making important contributions to socio-economic development, environmental protection, climate change adaptation, and national defense and security. By 2025, the country will have planted over 285,000 hectares of concentrated forest and 108 million scattered trees; the export value of wood and forest products will reach over 18 billion USD, with a trade surplus of 14.8 billion USD; and revenue from forest environmental services will reach nearly 4,000 billion VND. Forest cover rates continue to remain stable at 42.03%, creating an important foundation for entering 2026.

President Luong Cuong launched the "Tree Planting Festival in Eternal Gratitude to Uncle Ho" in the Spring of the Year of the Horse 2026.

Expressing his delight at attending the launching ceremony of the "Tree Planting Festival in Eternal Gratitude to Uncle Ho" in the spring of 2026, President Luong Cuong pointed out that this event is even more meaningful as it is held in Lao Cai province - the source of the Red River flowing into Vietnam, a borderland rich in historical, cultural and revolutionary traditions, and with a crucial strategic position in the economy, society, national defense and security of the Fatherland. Along with the overall achievements of the whole country, Lao Cai is one of the leading localities in the management, protection and development of forests, planting protective forests in the headwaters, preserving and protecting water resources; it ranks second nationwide in the results of planting trees with over 100 million trees in the implementation of the "Planting One Billion Trees in the period 2021-2025" project; agriculture and forestry have truly become key economic sectors, making an important contribution to economic and social development and ensuring national defense and security in the border region of the Fatherland.

The President beat the drum to launch the Tree Planting Festival.

The President commended the achievements of Lao Cai province in particular and the whole country in general in 2025; acknowledged and highly appreciated the central ministries and agencies, armed forces units, the people, and localities, organizations, and individuals who have had many good and practical initiatives and methods in implementing the "Tree Planting Festival" movement, contributing to the effective implementation of the project to plant 1 billion trees in the past.

Besides the achievements made, in the coming time, given the increasing challenges and impacts of climate change, environmental pollution, and biodiversity loss, it is necessary not to be complacent but to do even better, continuing to deepen and strengthen the tree planting movement. It is crucial to enhance propaganda and education, further raising awareness of the role and significance of "Tree Planting Day" according to President Ho Chi Minh's ideology, linking it with improving livelihoods, caring for people's lives, building ecological landscapes, protecting the environment, and proactively responding to climate change.

On the occasion of the Tree Planting Festival, the President called on all levels, sectors, organizations, business communities, every family, and every citizen to actively participate in the movement of planting trees, reforestation, and protecting green spaces; protecting upstream protective forests, contributing to economic and social development, ensuring ecological security and national sovereignty; focusing on promoting the value of medicinal plants and valuable products from forestry and agriculture; conserving biodiversity while preserving local cultural identity in forest protection and development and building new rural areas.

Mr. Trinh Viet Hung - Member of the Central Committee of the Party, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and Chairman of the Provincial People's Council - delivered a speech acknowledging the directives of the President.

At the ceremony, Mr. Trinh Viet Hung - Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and Chairman of the Provincial People's Council of Lao Cai province - stated: In recent years, the emulation movement to protect and develop forests in Lao Cai province has been continuously promoted, contributing to environmental protection, socio-economic development, and improving the lives of the people. Each year, Lao Cai province plants over 14,000 hectares of various types of forests, with the total forested land area reaching over 865,000 hectares by 2025, achieving a forest cover rate of 61.5%, making Lao Cai one of the leading provinces nationwide in terms of forest cover. The management, protection, and restoration of natural forests, protection forests, and special-use forests have received significant investment from all levels of government, localities, and forest owners in the province, making an important contribution to biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation. Responding to the call from the President, on the very first day of spring, 99 communes and wards in Lao Cai province simultaneously launched tree planting and reforestation campaigns. In 2026, Lao Cai aims to plant over 14,000 hectares of concentrated forest and over 6 million scattered trees, linking forest development with improving productivity, quality, economic value, and protecting existing forest resources.

On behalf of the Party Committee, the government, and the people of Lao Cai province, the Provincial Party Secretary respectfully thanked and accepted all the directives from the President. Lao Cai province will continue to pay attention to and do even better in raising awareness among each citizen about the great, comprehensive, long-term benefits and humanitarian values of planting trees, reforestation, and forest protection; linking this with green and sustainable economic development, minimizing the impact of climate change, and making the natural landscape of Lao Cai even more beautiful.

The President and other leaders of the Party, State, central ministries, departments and agencies; leaders and people of Lao Cai province planted trees at the Lao Cai Cultural Park Project.

After beating the drum to officially launch the Tree Planting Festival, President Luong Cuong, along with delegates, representatives of political and social organizations, and local people, participated in planting trees at Lao Cai Cultural Park, Vo Nguyen Giap Street, Cam Duong Ward, Lao Cai Province.

Lam Tu