VietNamNet Bridge – The Army is always the key force to defend the country’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity on land, sea and in the air, affirmed President Truong Tan Sang in Hanoi on Mar. 14.

The Army also serves as the main force in efforts to cope with natural disasters, rescuing and helping people stabilise 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 programmes, development of socio-politic grassroots establishments and new cultural lifestyle, particularly in remote areas, he added.

Emphasising 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 President agreed with the Ministry’s operational programmes 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.

VietNamNet/Vietnam Plus