General Ngo Xuan Lich, Minister of National Defense chaired the meeting in the presence of former Defense Ministers, Generals Pham Van Tra and Phung Quang Thanh, former Director of the General Department of Politics Senior Lieutenant General Pham Thanh Ngan, and other leaders of the Ministry of National Defense, the General Staff and General Department of Politics.

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At the event

On behalf of the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense, General Lich briefed the delegates on the outcomes of the implementation of military-defense tasks over the past time and major plans for 2018 and the following years. Meanwhile, Senior Lieutenant General Phan Van Giang, Chief-of-the-General Staff, and Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, Deputy-Defense Minister, introduced the basic contents of the Vietnam Defense and Military Strategy in the current context to the participants.

Addressing the event, General Lich expressed his great pleasure and respect to the retired generals and defense leaders, stressing that the Party, State and Army have always treasured their precious expertise, enthusiasm, and experiences. The Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense hoped to receive more ideas and advice from former defense leaders, considering them good lessons to continue educating troops to bring into play the former generation’s revolutionary proficiency and develop an elite, regular, and gradually modern army, he added. In addition, they would be ready to undertake and fulfill any assigned missions, as well as to firmly safeguard the national sovereignty and territorial integrity and maintain peace and stability in the region and the world as a whole.

The Defense Minister affirmed that the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense acknowledged the advice of former defense leaders and pledged to direct the whole army to fulfill all assigned missions, deserving the trust of the Party, State and people.

Translated by Trung Thanh