80th anniversary of Vietnam People's Army celebrated in Venezuela, Mexico
The Vietnamese Embassies and Defence Attaché Offices in Venezuela and Mexico held ceremonies to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Vietnam People's Army (VPA) (December 22,1944-2024) and the 35 years of the All-People Defence Festival (1989 - 2024).
At the event held on December 4, Vietnamese Ambassador to Venezuela Vu Trung My reviewed the history and achievements of the VPA in the last 80 years as well as the significance of the All-People Defence Festival.
Highlighting the continously growing Vietnam-Venezuela defence ties, he said since 2013, both sides have conducted delegation exchanges to study military art and people's warfare. Vietnam has provided Vietnamese language courses for Venezuelan military staff, appreciated by the Venezuelan Ministry of Defence.
Venezuela’s Vice President Jorge Marquez, who is also President of the Venezuela-Vietnam Intergovernmental Committee, said that late President Hugo Chávez, President Nicolás Maduro, and the leaders of the Venezuelan Ministry of Defence view Vietnam's people's war doctrine as a valuable lesson for the revolutionary armed forces of Venezuela.
He noted that he will continue to promote and deepen the traditional friendship and comprehensive partnership between Vietnam and Venezuela, especially in defence, in the future.
Earlier, the Vietnamese Embassy and the Defence Attaché Office jointly organised talks, seminars, film screenings, and exhibitions to introduce the defence foreign policy and the journey of formation and development of the VPA at the National Institute for Higher Security Studies (IAESEN) of Venezuela and the Institute for Strategic Operations (IESEOFANB) under the Venezuelan Ministry of Defence.
Meanwhile, on December 5, the Vietnamese Embassy and Defence Attaché Office in Mexico held a similar celebration with the participation of more than 200 guests.
Speaking at the event, Ambassador-Designate Nguyen Van Hai emphasised that implementing Vietnam’s consistent foreign policy, the VPA has actively promoted international integration and defence diplomacy at both bilateral and multilateral levels. It has also enhanced participation in United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions, international cooperation in the field of non-traditional security, humanitarian assistance, search and rescue, and war aftermath recovery, significantly contributing to creating an environment of peace, stability, cooperation and development in the region and the world.
Representing the Mexican Ministry of Defence, Major General Jose Filiberto Nuñez Salina stated that Mexico and Vietnam share many similarities in their history of struggling for national liberation, as well as core values of peace-loving spirit and awareness of independence and national sovereignty.
The traditional friendship between the two countries still has significant potential for further development, especially in the areas of politics, defence, and trade, he said.
On December 2, the Vietnamese Embassy in Mexico inaugurated the Vietnamese Defence Attaché Office, right on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries in 2025.
