President Thuong lauded the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defence as well as officers and soldiers of the whole army for achievements they have made in 2023, thus contributing to concretising the Party's policies and guidelines into the State's policies and laws on military and national defence, and meeting the requirements and tasks of protecting the Fatherland in the new period.
He asked the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence to continue well performing the function of advising the Party and State on military and defence affairs, improving research and forecasting capacity, and having flexible and effective solutions to handle problems and avoid being passive or surprised.
It is necessary to continue to deeply grasp the policy of all-people defence, people's war, and national protection in the new situation, with the viewpoint of relying on the people, and the people being the root, the centre, and the subject, President Thuong stressed.
The entire army must focus on improving the overall quality and combat strength, strictly maintain combat readiness, monitor and firmly protect the airspace, sea, border, inland, cyberspace and key areas, and firmly safeguard the country's sovereignty and territory.
The State leader underlined the need for the army to propose mechanisms, policies, and solutions to attract and train talents, and improve the quality of human resources to meet the requirements of building the army in the new situation.
Special attention must be paid to building a truly clean and strong Party Organisation of the Vietnam People’s Army in terms of politics, ideology, ethics, organisation and personnel, President Thuong said, stressing the need to ensure the Party's absolute and direct leadership in all aspects of the army.
The leader also required the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defence to exert greater efforts to improve the material and spiritual lives of officers and soldiers, especially in remote, border and island areas; and implement international integration and defence diplomacy concertedly, comprehensively, and effectively to ensure national interests at the highest./.
Economic diplomacy contributes to socio-economic development: PM
Economic diplomacy has truly become a key component in all external affairs, especially high-level diplomacy, contributing effectively to implemeting strategic breakthroughs, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh said while chairing a conference with ambassadors and heads of Vietnamese representative agencies abroad to review the economic diplomacy work in 2024, in Hanoi on December 20.