Brunei ceremony marks 80 years of Vietnam People’s Army
VOV.VN - The Embassy of Vietnam and the Vietnam Defense Attaché Office in Brunei co-organized a ceremony on December 17 to mark 80 years of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) (December 22, 1944 - 2024) and 35 years of the All-People’s Defense Day (December 22, 1989 - 2024).
In his welcoming speech, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Ngoc Huan, Vietnam’s Military Attaché to Brunei, highlighted the 80-year journey of the Vietnam People’s Army, emphasizing its development into a loyal and reliable force of the Party, State, and people of Vietnam.
He underscored the significance of All-People’s Defense Day as a tribute to Vietnam’s tradition of nationwide defense, reflecting the Vietnamese Communist Party’s vision of mobilizing all people in building and safeguarding the nation.
He reaffirmed Vietnam’s commitment to its “Four No’s” defense policy that is not engaging in military alliances, not aligning with one country to fight another, not allowing foreign countries to set up military bases or use territory to fight other countries, and not using force or threatening to use force in international relations.
The Lieutenant Colonel emphasized the vital role of defense diplomacy as one of the key pillars of Vietnam’s external relations, helping build strategic trust and foster friendships with other nations.
He noted that defense cooperation is a highlight in the Comprehensive Partnership between Vietnam and Brunei, based on the 2005 Memorandum of Understanding on Defense Cooperation. This cooperation includes regular high-level exchanges, bilateral and multilateral defense consultations, and a strong focus on education and training collaboration.
Under the Vietnam-Brunei Comprehensive Partnership Action Plan for 2023-2027, priority areas include economy, defense, security, education, and people-to-people exchanges. Both sides aim to deepen bilateral defense cooperation by maintaining and establishing new consultation mechanisms and information-sharing channels between their defense ministries, as well as their respective Army, Air Force, and Navy forces.
Huan expressed optimism that the Vietnam-Brunei partnership, particularly in defense, would continue to strengthen, fostering mutual trust and cooperation to address shared challenges.
Such cooperation also contributes to the development of the ASEAN Community and promotes peace, stability, security, and prosperity in the region, he stressed.
