Deputy Defense Minister Senior Lieutenant General Vo Minh Luong attended and delivered a speech at the event.
In line with the resolution and conclusions of the Party Central Committee, on May 30, 2025, the Minister of National Defense signed a decision to establish the Marine Economic Corps (referred to as Corps 20), under the Ministry of National Defense, based on the existing Saigon Military Port (also known as Saigon Newport Corporation).
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Sr. Lt. Gen. Vo Minh Luong hands over the Determined to Win Flag to Corps 20. |
Corps 20 is tasked with integrating national defense with economic development, and vice versa. Its operations span production, business, port management, logistics services, transportation, and marine economic activities. It also invests in industrial zones, maritime and island tourism, and the development of clean and renewable energy.
Over the past 36 years, Saigon Newport Corporation has consistently fulfilled its assigned duties with excellence. It currently ranks 17th among the world’s top 20 container port clusters by cargo throughput. The corporation has twice received the title of Hero of Labor, has been recognized eight consecutive times as a National Brand, awarded six times as an Outstanding Enterprise for Workers, among many other prestigious honors.
In his remarks, General Luong congratulated Saigon Newport Corporation on its exceptional achievements over the past 36 years. He stressed that the establishment of Corps 20 is a strategically important decision that reflects a forward-looking vision in the military’s organizational restructuring, in line with national defense requirements and the mission of building and safeguarding the Fatherland in the new era.
He urged Corps 20 to fully understand and rigorously implement the policies and directives of the Party, the State, the Central Military Commission, and the Ministry of National Defense on military and defense matters. The Corps should effectively combine economic development with national defense and the protection of the Fatherland, especially through the implementation of the Strategy for Sustainable Development of Vietnam’s Marine Economy through 2030, with a vision to 2045.
The Deputy Defense Minister emphasized that sustainable marine economic development must go hand in hand with ensuring national defense and security, safeguarding independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and promoting international cooperation. He called on Corps 20 to promptly stabilize its organizational structure and operate in accordance with its defined functions and responsibilities.
Corps 20 is expected to focus its leadership and direction on effectively fulfilling its missions, striving to become a leading enterprise in Vietnam’s marine economy.
Translated by Tran Hoai