Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (centre) presents trees to the Hồ Chí Minh Mausoleum Guard Command. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính launched the annual New Year tree planting festival at the K9-Đá Chông relic site in Ba Vì District, Hà Nội on Friday, the sixth day of the Year of the Cat.

At the historical relic site associated with late President Hồ Chí Minh’s revolutionary life, the PM and delegates respectfully offered incense in his memory, expressing infinite gratitude for the late President’s great merits.

PM Chính and delegates vowed to strive to follow his moral example, ideology and style, building a powerful and prosperous country with happy people.

Tree planting festival

Co-organised by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Ministry of National Defence and Hà Nội municipal authorities, the tree planting festival started a series of activities nationwide for the programme “For a green Việt Nam” with an aim of planting 22.5 million trees this year.

Speaking at the event, PM Chính recalled that 64 years ago, the late President Hồ Chí Minh called on the nation to respond to a tree planting month, which has since become a tradition every lunar new year.

Millions of hectares of forests and hundreds of millions of trees have been planted throughout the country, improving the ecological environment and developing the country's socio-economic development, actively contributing to disaster reduction, greenhouse gas emission reduction and effective response to climate change.

Việt Nam’s forest coverage expanded from 28 per cent in 1990 to over 42 per cent last year, absorbing over 70 million tonnes of carbon dioxide.

PM Chính said that planting trees not only protects the landscape, environment and biodiversity but is also an important economic boon, bringing great benefits to the country now and in the future.

“It demonstrates Việt Nam's determination and political commitment in addressing serious global challenges of combating climate change and ecosystems declining, towards a healthy planet", he said.

The PM highlighted Việt Nam's commitment to achieving net zero by 2050 and expressed his belief that this year's tree-planting campaign will produce positive achievements, helping the country deliver its commitment and contribute to national development.

PM Chính called on everyone to actively participate in the tree planting festival from the first days of spring and throughout the year for a green, safe and sustainable Việt Nam.

At the launch ceremony, he joined delegates in planting 3,000 trees at the relic site. — VNS