Retired senior officers gather

PANO – The Central Military Commission and Ministry of National Defence on January 30^th held a meeting for more than 550 retired senior officers in Hanoi.

Former Party General Secretary (centre) and delegates.

The meeting was chaired by Minister of National Defence, General Phung Quang Thanh and attended by former leaders of the Party, State, Central Military Commission and Ministry of National Defence.

At the meeting, the Director of the General Department of Politics of the Vietnam People’s Army General Ngo Xuan Lich briefed the participants on the national and international situations, the results of the 12^th National Party Congress, and the outcomes of the implementation of military, defence missions in 2015.

Accordingly, last year, thanks to the Party’s sound leadership, great unity among people, and the proactiveness and creativeness of the army, Vietnam firmly defended its sovereignty and territorial integrity, maintained peaceful environment and political stability for socio-economic development and the improving living standards of people, strengthened defence and security, as well as raised the country’s position in the international arena despite sophisticated situations in the East Sea; the region, and the rest of the world.

Delegates at the meeting.

The Central Military Commission and Ministry of National Defence led and instructed the whole army to overcome difficulties to effectively fulfill all functions of a fighting and working army. The quality of combat readiness has been boosted. Military units cooperated with central departments and agencies and localities to strengthen the whole people’s defence and defence postures and security postures, actively took part in the fight against crimes, smugglings, and trade fraud in border areas and at sea, as well as effectively carried out search and rescue missions and hunger elimination and poverty reduction activities, etc.

Military external affairs work also obtained significant achievements, contributing to promoting peace in the region and the world as a whole. Vietnam sent its officers to the UN peacekeeping operations. Many guidelines and measures were adopted to raise the leadership ability of Party committees and organizations in the whole army.

Former State President Le Duc Anh (sitting) and delegates.

General Lich stressed that in the coming time the whole army will promote grasping and effectively implementing the Party’s guidelines and State’s policies and laws on military, defence, and national protection missions, work out defence and military strategies and plans to protect strategic areas. Military units will give timely advices to higher levels and work with other forces and localities to effectively deal with problems, build the army with political strength, boost people’s trust, promote international integration, and raise the effectiveness of the military external affairs work in accordance with the Party’s guidelines.