Hanoi (VNA) – Party General Secretaryand President Nguyen Phu Trong on January 10 asked the entire army to makeall-out efforts to complete targets and tasks set for 2019.

Addressing the national political-military conference held by the CentralMilitary Commission and the Ministry of National Defence in Hanoi, the leadersaid 2019 is significant to the implementation of the resolution adopted at the12th National Party Congress and the 2016-2020 socio-economicdevelopment plan.

Therefore, the leader, who is also Secretary of the Central MilitaryCommission, stressed the army needs to stay vigilant, make accurate forecastsof the situation, especially emerging complex issues, and provide timelyconsultations for the Party and State to deal with the problems.

At the conference reviewing the performance of the Central Military Commissionand the Defence Ministry in 2018, he tasked the commission and the ministrywith boosting the national strength to build people-based defence and security,stressing that more attention should be paid to building defence zones.

National defence and security should go in tandem with economic development,particularly in strategic and key border and island areas, he said.

Trong urged the commission and the ministry to join hands with the police andother relevant forces in the fight against sabotage plots and destructiveactivities by hostile forces, and effectively combat crimes.

Another important work in the security and defence education is to raise publicawareness of national defence, he added.

It is a must to build the army politically strong, absolutely loyal to theParty, the nation and people, and resolved to fight against wrongdoings andhostile forces, the leader noted.

Regarding the apparatus organisation of the political system, he said theadjustment must ensure a streamlined and effective army and better combativestrength, thus meeting national defence requirements and tasks in both shortand long terms.

Trong highlighted the image of Vietnamese soldiers in the new period who, hesaid, should be equipped with scientific and military knowledge in order tobuild a revolutionary, regular, elite and modern army.

The combination of the defence industry and national industry can contribute toimproving defence potential and capacity for ensuring weapons and technicalequipment for the army, he said.

The leader asked the army at all levels to step up external relations and placemore importance to bilateral defence cooperation, stressing peace-keepingoperations and preparations for military and defence conferences when Vietnamassumes the ASEAN Chairmanship in 2020.

More efforts are needed to build the army’s Party Committees at all levels andofficers and soldiers who must set examples in morality and lifestyle, theleader said.-VNA