Among the attendees were Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang, Vietnamese Deputy Minister of National Defense, along with representatives from several agencies and units under Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defense, and a number of ambassadors and defense attachés of foreign countries in Hanoi.
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Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang delivers remarks at the banquet. |
Speaking at the event on behalf of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang extended congratulations to the Russian Ambassador, the staff of the Russian Embassy and the Office of the Russian Defense Attaché in Vietnam, and, through the Ambassador, conveyed best wishes to the Russian people and the Russian Ministry of Defense.
He emphasized that Defender of the Fatherland Day is an occasion for the Russian people to honor generations of officers and soldiers who fought heroically and contributed significantly to the victory in the Great Patriotic War (1941–1945), thereby fostering intergenerational solidarity and educating younger generations of both countries about patriotism.
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Colonel Belosludtsev Sergey Vladimirovich, Russian Defense Attaché to Vietnam, speaks at the event. |
Vietnam, he noted, always values and remembers the effective support provided by the former Soviet Union and today’s Russia to the Vietnamese people and the Vietnam People’s Army in the struggle for national independence, freedom and reunification.
Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang observed that the world is undergoing epochal changes, with the international economic, political and security environment evolving rapidly, being complex and difficult to predict. Although peace, cooperation and development remain prevailing trends, numerous challenges still remain.
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Delegates pose for a joint photo. |
In that context, Vietnam consistently pursues an independent and self-reliant foreign policy of diversification and multilateralization, being a friend, reliable partner and responsible member of the international community. Having experienced multiple wars for national independence and reunification, Vietnam deeply understands and cherishes the historical lessons in safeguarding the Fatherland, as well as the sacred value of independence, sovereignty, peace and freedom.
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Deputy Defense Minister Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang and Russian Ambassador to Vietnam Gennady Stepanovich Bezdetko |
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Deputy Defense Minister Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang exchanges views with the Russian Ambassador and the Russian Defense Attaché. |
He affirmed that in recent years, Vietnam–Russia defense cooperation has continued to be consolidated and strengthened in line with the comprehensive strategic partnership framework. The two ministries of defense have successfully carried out various high-level defense diplomacy activities, including visits by Vietnamese leaders to Russia and joint chairmanship of intergovernmental mechanisms on military-technical cooperation and the Vietnam–Russia Tropical Center, as well as deputy minister-level strategic defense dialogues.
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Gen. Nguyen Truong Thang converses with delegates. |
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Delegates attend the banquet. |
The year 2026 marks the first year of implementing the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress of Vietnam and also commemorates the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Vietnam–Russia strategic partnership (2001–2026). Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang expressed confidence that bilateral defense cooperation will continue to develop more effectively, commensurate with the long-standing traditional friendship and comprehensive strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia.
Translated by Trung Thanh