• Defence Minister: Vietnam willing to share ASEAN experiences

The Army also serves as the main force in efforts to cope with natural disasters, rescuing and helping people stabilize their life and production, the President affirmed at his working session with the Defence Ministry’s leaders on the implementation of future military and defence tasks.

The Army has taken an active role in socio-economic development and poverty reduction programs, development of socio-politic grassroots establishments and new cultural lifestyle, particularly in remote areas, he added.

Emphasizing the rapidly changing and complicated political, security situation in the world, President Sang noted that the country’s socio-economic situation faces difficulties and challenges, especially the impacts of global financial crises and economic turndown, natural disasters and diseases, and hostile forces in and out the country that continue to implement destructive activities and plot unrest.

The need to maintain independence, sovereignty, peaceful environment and stability for the country’s socio-economic development has meant new requirements for the national defence and security task, he said.

The State leader agreed with the Ministry’s operational programs and solutions for this year, urging the ministry to pursue the goal of combining national independence and socialism, consider maintaining peace and stability for national development as its highest interest, and continue building the people’s armed forces in a strong, comprehensive, regular, skilful and modern manner.