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| Party General Secretary To Lam and representatives from the Central Military Commission at the ceremony. (Photo: VNA) |
The Party chief traced the army’s origin to December 22, 1944 when the Vietnam Propaganda Unit of Liberation Army, the predecessor of the VPA, was established, underscoring that under the guidance of the Party and President Ho Chi Minh, coupled with strong support from the people, the army achieved remarkable growth and numerous victories.
He laid stress on the army's fundamental connection to the people, stating it has shared both hardships and triumphs with the people. He highlighted the army’s role as the pioneer force in response to natural disasters and disease outbreaks, as well as search and rescue operations. Military officers and soldiers have been present in crucial, difficult, and dangerous sites, braving risks to themselves to protect the lives and property of the people. Many service members have made the ultimate sacrifice during these missions, exemplifying the noble tradition of Uncle Ho's Soldiers in the new era.
In recent years, the VPA has undergone significant restructuring to become more streamlined and powerful, adhering to the Party's military and defence policies. This transformation has established a foundation for building a revolutionary, professional, elite, and modern military force, Party General Secretary Lam stressed, adding the defence industry has made notable strides, mastering technologies to produce modern weapons, military equipment, and dual-use products, making contributions to the country’s industrialisation and modernisation.
He went on the say that VPA has also actively promoted international integration and defence policy, achieving comprehensive results in both bilateral and multilateral relationships. Its engagement in the UN peacekeeping missions, humanitarian assistance training and rehearsals, disaster relief, and international cooperation in war legacy remediation has helped enhance the army and the nation’s position and reputation in the international arena while contributing to protecting the Fatherland from early and afar.
The Party chief highlighted that the valuable experiences and traditions passed down by ancestors in defending the nation, as well as the all-people, comprehensive, and prolonged resistance strategy, have continued to be inherited, developed, and gradually refined during the period of national construction and renewal, and in the protection of the Fatherland.
With a profound understanding of the incomparable strength of the all-people defence, and in response to the people's aspirations, on October 17, 1989, the Secretariat of the 6th Party Central Committee issued a directive designating December 22 as the founding day of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) and the All-People’s Defence Festival, he noted.
He said that the annual occasion is not only a chance to cherish the glorious traditions and honour the outstanding achievements of the VPA, but also a celebration of the strength of national solidarity in strengthening national defence and protecting the Fatherland.
Over the 35 years, it has directly contributed to raising awareness and responsibility among the people regarding the sacred task of protecting the Fatherland, nurturing patriotism, pride, and national self-respect, reinforcing the great unity of the entire nation, and encouraging people across the country to actively support national defence with both their efforts and resources. This has helped build and strongly promote the people-based defence position and creating a solid wall in the cause of building and protecting the Fatherland, said the leader.
General Secretary To Lam affirmed that with the highest goal of building a peaceful, prosperous, and civilised country, and contributing to the creation of a peaceful world without war, where people live in independence, freedom, prosperity, and happiness, Vietnam has maintained a consistent policy of settling all disputes and differences through peaceful measures based on international law.
Vietnam respects the independence, sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, and internal affairs of all nations, not participating in military alliances, not aligning with one country to oppose another, not allowing foreign countries to establish military bases or use Vietnamese territory to act against other countries, and not using force or threatening to use force in international relations, he emphasised.
The Party leader highlighted the strengthening of the Party's absolute and direct leadership and the State's centralised and unified management and governance of over the VPA and defence-security area as a prerequisite for the military to continue to complete all tasks and record new victories.
He pointed to the need to steadfastly pursue the goal of national independence and socialism, uphold the all-people national defence strategy, the people's war, vigorously build a people defence system linked with an all-people security system, and combine the strength of the nation with the power of the era and the support and cooperation from international friends.
The General Secretary also stressed the need to build a revolutionary, regular, elite, and modern people’s army that is politically strong, absolutely loyal to the Fatherland, the Party, the State, and the people, and unwavering in the Party’s goals and ideals, with a streamlined and powerful force organised.
Along with paying greater attention to human resources training, it is necessary to promote the glorious traditions and noble qualities of Uncle Ho’s soldiers and develop Vietnam’s unique military art, effectively responding to non-traditional security challenges and mastering new strategic spaces, ensuring the protection of the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland in all circumstances, and strengthening international integration and defence diplomacy, thus promoting the trend of peace, preventing and resolving the risks of war and conflict, and maintaining a peaceful and stable environment to build and develop the country and protect the Fatherland from early and afar, and to defend the country before it is in danger, the leader stressed.
General Secretary To Lam expressed his confidence that, together with the whole nation to confidently enter a new era of prosperity and growth, the VPA will continuously promote its glorious 80-year tradition, achieve more outstanding victories, and work alongside the entire Party and people to firmly protect the beloved socialist Vietnamese Fatherland.
On the occasion, the VPA received the Ho Chi Minh Order in recognition for its excellent contributions to the Party and nation’s revolutionary cause, adding to its collection of five Gold Star Orders, one first-class Military Exploit Order, and two first-class Labour Orders, among others.
Prior to the celebration, a delegation from the Party, State, Government, Vietnam Fatherland Front, Central Military Commission, and Ministry of National Defence paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum and offered incense at the Monument for Heroic Martyrs on Bac Son Street./.