A series of ceremonies to mark the 65th anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army (Dec. 22) were held in Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia and Japan by the Vietnamese Embassies and the Vietnam Defence Attaché Offices in the countries.

The meetings were attended by high-ranking representatives from the host countries’ governments and armies.

Speaking at the meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia on Dec. 21, Vietnamese defence attaché Tran Ngoc Dan reviewed the army’s courageous exploits and times of valour during the past struggle for national liberation and unification, as well as its contributions to national construction and defence. Vietnam ’s army has been working to expand its relations with other armed forces in the region and the world in order to fulfil its strategic tasks of defending and building the country.

In particular, Dan noted the strengthened relationships between the armed forces of Vietnam and Indonesia on the basis of mutual understanding, respect and friendship, cooperation in many fields for the bilateral benefits and for peace, stability and development in the region.

In Tokyo, Japan on Dec. 22, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Phu Binh took the occasion to thank Japan and other countries for their cooperation with and assistance to Vietnam and its people in general and Vietnam People’s Army in particular in the country’s international integration and economic development process.

Japanese senator Iwao Matsuda, Vice Chairman of the Japan-Vietnam Parliamentary Friendship Federation expressed his admiration for the Vietnam People’s Army. He pledged to try his best in his role as an organiser of Vietnam ’s cultural festival in Japan to work harder for mutual understanding and friendship between the two governments and people of Vietnam and Japan .

At the December-22 meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Tea Banh spoke highly of achievements made by Vietnam People’s Army in the process of national liberation and the country’s development.

Cambodian Senate President Chea Sim also sent congratulation letter to the Vietnamese army, expressing his gratefulness to the sacrifice of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers for the course of national liberation of Cambodian people, helping Cambodia escape genocide in 1979.


The meeting in Malaysia was an opportunity for Vietnam and Malaysia to review their cooperation. Over the past many years, the two sides have exchanged many visits by high-ranking military officials and naval vessels.

They also pledged to boost cooperation in the fields of military training, military information and human resource exchange, joint patrols on the sea and fighting trans-border crimes. Malaysia has granted many scholarships for Vietnamese officers to study in the Malaysian Military Academy./.