Reporter: Mister Defense Minister, the Central Military Commission successfully held the 11th Whole-Military Party Congress for the 2020-25 term. Could you elaborate on the results of the congress and major objectives for the building of the Vietnam People’s Army in the coming years that are articulated in the resolution?
Defense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich: The 11th Whole-Military Party Congress was a success as Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong concluded, “The military’s Party organization has carefully prepared for the organization of the 11th Whole-Military Party Congress in line with the Party’s principles. The 11th Whole-Military Party Congress has become an exemplar for other Party organizations to follow, and it will convey a positive spirit across the Party. During the congress, delegates actively gave opinions and ideas to draft documents and elected excellent candidates to attend the 13th National Party Congress for the 2021-26 term.”
The 11th Whole-Military Party Congress set several major strategic objectives for the whole military Party organization as follows:
1. To improve the staff-work capacity and give exact forecasts about the defense and security situation to ensure that the country will not be put in a strategic disadvantage or/and surprised in any circumstances.
2. To bring into full play the core role of the military in building a strong all-people defense posture, a people’s heart defense posture, defensive areas at military region-, provincial-, city-, district- levels.
3. To reorganize the military into a strong, streamlined and elite force by 2025; to complete the modernization of several military services and corps by 2030; and to start to build a modernized military beginning in 2030.
4. To improve the quality of military skill training as well as education of all kinds, tighten military discipline, as well as be able to maintain and gradually produce hi-tech weapons and equipment.
5. To enhance international integration in defense terms, expand defense relations with other countries for practical outcomes, contributing to protecting the country from afar, maintaining a favorable international environment for national development, raising the country’s strategic position in the region and world.
6. To build a clean and strong military Party organization and a politically strong military while continuously promoting revolutionary virtues and qualities of Uncle Ho’s Soldiers among military officers and soldiers.
Reporter: In 2020, the Ministry of National Defense successfully hosted a number of important regional defense and military events. Could you please elaborate on the achievements of the military in defense relations last year?
Defense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich: In spite of the development of the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the year of 2020, the Ministry of National Defense successfully hosted 25 face-to-face and virtual defense and military events, including the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Retreat, the 17th ASEAN Chiefs of Defense Force Meeting, the 14th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting and the 7th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus, within the framework of the ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020. Furthermore, the four most important meetings all issued joint statements. ASEAN countries and international opinions highly valued the careful preparations and leadership of Vietnam as the Chair of ASEAN in 2020.
Meanwhile, the country continued to strengthen defense ties with ASEAN countries, neighboring countries and traditional friends. In 2020, the Ministry of National Defense sent a military delegation to attend the Army Games 2020 in Russia and gained excellent results. Our military also boosted defense cooperation in preventing and fighting COVID-19, and hosted an online ASEAN military medicine drill in response to COVID-19.
Regarding Vietnam’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations, the Vietnamese level-two field hospital rotation 2 has been highly appreciated by leaders of the Peace Keeping Mission in South Sudan and UN leaders while individual officers working at the UN Peacekeeping Mission in Central Africa have successfully performed their duties.
Reporter: The year of 2020 saw not only the COVID-19 pandemic, but also a lot of natural disasters. Could you please clarify the role of the military in response to both calamities?
Defense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich: It can be said that the military always plays the leading role in responding to calamities. In 2020, the Central Military Commission and Defense Ministry foresaw the complicated development of the weather in 2020 so they directed all military units to prepare adequate forces and assets for natural disaster response. Military units stationed near reservoirs and rivers joined local forces to consolidate banks and dams. During the year, the Defense Ministry mobilized more than 330,000 troops and 11,000 vehicles to participate in natural disaster relief, search and rescue. The effective support of the military for victims of natural disasters was praised by the Party, State and people.
During the year, all defense agencies and military units seriously followed and implemented the Defense Ministry’s instructions on COVID-19 prevention. At the same time, the border guard force strictly safeguarded the borderline and effectively controlled illegal border crossings while military units provided accommodations and food for individuals being quarantined for COVID-19 prevention and control, and the military chemical force disinfected areas of residences of COVID-19 patients.
Reporter: During the 10th sitting, the National Assembly of the 14th term passed an important resolution on Vietnam’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations. What do you think about the importance of the resolution?
Defense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich: Recently, the National Assembly ratified Resolution 130/2020/QH14 on Vietnam’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations. It reflects Vietnam’s consistent foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development in both bilateral and international relations. In fact, the resolutions of the 12th National Party Congress and the 11th Military Party Congress as well as Resolution 22-NQ/TW issued by the Politburo on April 10, 2013 all underline that Vietnam will proactively integrate into the world and act as a responsible member of the international community.
The National Assembly’s promulgation of the resolution has created a legal framework for the Vietnam People’s Army as well as other forces to participate in UN peacekeeping operations. Based on the resolution, the Defense Ministry, in collaboration with the Foreign Ministry and other Central agencies and ministries, will advise the Party, State and Government to send Vietnamese forces and personnel to participate in UN peacekeeping operations in line with the Party’s policy and State’s laws in the time to come.
Reporter: During the 10th sitting, the National Assembly also passed the Law on Vietnam Borders. Could you elaborate on the role of the law in building, managing and protecting national borders in the current context?
Defense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich: On November 11, 2020, the National Assembly approved the Law on Vietnam Borders with an absolute majority of the vote. The law plays an especially important role in building, managing and protecting national borders in the current context.
In fact, the law has concretized the policies and thoughts of the Party and State on protecting national independence, territorial integrity and border security. It allows mobilizing not only the armed forces, but also the entire political system and people to protect national borders. The law serves as a legal basis for the Defense Ministry to make recommendations to the Government to invest in protecting border areas, build the border guard force and mobilize other forces and people to manage and safeguard national borders. It also creates a lever for the Government and local authorities to develop the economy and improve the living conditions of people living in border areas. Finally, the law contributes to building borderlines of peace, friendship and cooperation with Vietnam’s neighboring countries.
Reporter: In order to protect the country in early stage and from afar, it is necessary to create additional laws relating to defense and military affairs. What law will the Defense Ministry craft in 2021, Minister Defense Minister?
Defense Minister Ngo Xuan Lich: To draft laws on military and defense affairs is an important task, contributing to completing the legal framework on military and defense affairs, as well as facilitating the building of the Vietnam People’s Army and the task of firmly protecting the Fatherland in both the short and long term. In 2021, the Central Military Commission and Defense Ministry will continue to lead the drafting of legal documents on military and defense affairs. In drafting legal documents on military and defense affairs, the Defense Ministry will:
1. Follow the Party’s policies and guidelines articulated in the documents of the 13th National Party Congress on military and defense affairs. At the same time, the Defense Ministry will revise available legal documents on military and defense affairs so as to perfect the legal system on military and defense affairs and create favorable conditions for the military to perform its main missions of firmly protecting the Fatherland and enhancing its defense capabilities.
2. Improve the efficiency and effectiveness of law enforcement in the military and define responsibilities of cadres, particularly leaders of units at all levels, based on the current laws and legal documents.
3. Submit draft amended laws and legal documents to the Government and propose the National Assembly to amend some laws in accordance to the current situation, as well as draft a law on industrial mobilization, a law on protecting defense projects and military zones and a law on the development of defense industry.
Reporter: Thank you very much, Mister Defense Minister.
Interviewed by Thu Hang and Hien Hoa
Translated by Thu Nguyen