The 10th Vietnam People’s Army (VPA)’s Party Congress for 2015-2020 commenced in Hanoi on September 22 with the attendance of 450 delegates representing hundreds of thousands of Party members in the VPA. In his opening speech, Vice Secretary of the Central Military Commission and Defence Minister General Phung Quang Thanh highlighted that the congress is intended to review the implementation of the resolution from the 9 th VPA Party Congress and determine military and defence-related orientations, goals and missions and those for consolidating the VPA’s Party organisation through 2020. The event will also debate and give feedback on the Party Central Committee’s draft documents to be submitted to the 12th National Party Congress in early 2016 while electing delegates to the national congress, he added. In his speech at the function, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, who is also Secretary of the Central Military Commission, congratulated the VPA’s Party organisation and the entire army on their accomplishments over the last five years. Analysing the domestic and international situations which directly affect the realisation of military and defence missions, the leader stressed that the Party’s policy is to optimise the combined power of the entire nation and political system to firmly safeguard national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity while protecting the Party, State, people and socialist regime. The Party also works to protect doi moi (reform) efforts, national industrialisation and modernisation as well as the national interests and culture; consolidate national defence; and ensure a peaceful environment, national security, political stability and social order and safety, he noted. General Secretary Trong expressed approval of the orientations and tasks set for the 2015-2020 in the congress’s Political Report, laying stress on five key missions including continuing to successfully carry out the Party’s guidelines, viewpoints and policies along with the State’s policies and laws regarding military and national defence tasks. The VPA also needs to study strategies and advise the Party and State on military and defence-related guidelines, mechanisms, policies and laws, the General Secretary said, urging the armed forces to work harder to build defence and military strategies and blueprints for ensuring defence in strategic areas in the northwest, Central Highlands, southwest, border, sea and island regions. The military Party organisation must also closely coordinate with other sectors, forces and localities to prevent and deal with complicated incidents in a timely fashion. Meanwhile, more effort should be put into building an army that is modern, politically strong and completely faithful to the Party, State, people and socialist regime and enhancing the Party’s absolute and direct leadership and the State’s concentrated and consistent management over the army. The VPA Party organisation must solidify the close-knit relationship between the army and people and actively work to counter wrongful viewpoints so as to help defeat “peaceful evolution” plots of hostile forces along with the “self-evolution”, “self-transformation” and “de-politicalisation of the army”, the Party chief noted. He also asked the Party organisation of the army to promote international integration and improve the effectiveness of defence external relations in accordance with Party guidelines and viewpoints. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong expressed his belief that the VPA Party organisation will lead the entire army to continue upholding the traditions of the Party, nation and the heroic Vietnam People’s Army, contributing more to national development and protection. The 10th Party Congress of the VPA is scheduled to last through September 24.-VNA