PM hails military’s performance in defence, economic development

Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, who is also a Politburo member, attended the political-military conference of the army in Hanoi on July 5, during which he praised the force’s important contributions in both defence activities and socio-economic development.

The leader noted that in the first half of this year, the country encountered many difficulties and challenges amid the complicated and unpredictable world situation. In that context, the Party, the people, and the army comprehensively implemented many policies to realise the Resolution passed at the 13th National Party Congress , while dealing with emerging and lingery issues.

Comprehensive and important results were achieved, including stable socio-political situation, recovering economy, controlled inflation, ensured macro-economic balances, and managed bad debts and budget over expenditure, he pointed out.

Meanwhile, the Party building and rectification as well as the corruption fight were effective, and the national security, defence and external relations strengthened, added the PM. He highlighted contributions by the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) in these achievements by showing strong performance in national defence and production activities, completing all tasks assigned.

Along with effectively implementing and proposing military-defence policies to the Party and State, the army has actively coordinated with the whole political system and the people in building a strong people-based defence, while making important contributions to the country’s socio-economic development, promoting its key role in improving the socio-economic situation in far-flung and difficult areas, he said.

The Government leader hailed the VPA for improving its combativeness, firmly safeguarding the nation’s airspace, seas and border, as well as its active, flexible and effective international integration, and engagement in search and rescue activities inside and outside the country, especially during the earthquake disaster in Turkey.

Underlining that the world and regional situation is forecast to continue developing complicatedly and unpredictably with many risk factors, causing many difficulties and challenges for the country, he stressed that the task of building the army, reinforcing national defence and protecting the Fatherland will become harder. He asked the VPA to further improve its forecasting capacity, and provide more strategic advice to the Party and State in defence and military areas, while giving flexible and effective response to particular situations.

The PM requested the army to strictly manage the airspace, seas, border, national territory and cyberspace, enhancing the efficiency in State management over defence activities, and paying greater attention to the personnel training work.

Noting that in the recent Central Military Commission’s session, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong emphasised the spirit of setting good examples in the military Party Organisation and the whole army, PM Chinh asked the VPA to specify the direction in its guiding documents.

The army should focus on developing a modern defence industry basing on the achievements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, while turning it into a strong force in socio-economic development and infrastructure building, playing the core role in responding to natural disasters, incidents, as well as in search and rescue activities, and coordinating with the People’s Public Security force to build and reinforce the “people-based battlefield”, he said.

The PM also underlined the need for the VPA to continue to actively, comprehensively and effectively conduct international integration and defence external relations, affirming Vietnam’s “Four Nos” defence policy. On the occasion of the 76th War Invalids and Martyrs’ Day (July 27), he expressed deep gratitude to Heroic Vietnamese Mothers, martyrs, and Heroes of the People’s Armed Forces, as well as wounded and sick soldiers, relatives of martyrs, revolutionary soldiers jailed by the enemies, and families of those who rendered services to the revolution.