Many activities and events have been organised in and outside the country to mark the 70th founding anniversary of the Vietnamese People’s Army (VPA) and the 25th anniversary of the People’s Defence Festival Day.

The VPA was established on December 22, 1944 while the People’s Defence Festival Day began on December 22, 1989.

In Israel, a celebration was hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy on December 16 during which Ambassador Ta Duy Chinh highlighted the VPA’s glorious periods in the fight for the country’s independence as well as the nation-building and defence process.

The VPA always promotes external defence activities and cooperation with other countries and international organisations following the principles of equality and mutual respect, Chinh said.

He also took the occasion to praise the rapid and widespread developments in various fields, including defence, between Vietnam and Israel since the pair established diplomatic relations in 1993.

The fact that Vietnam opening its defence attaché office in Tel Aviv and Israel soon sending its defence representative to Hanoi is an important progress, the ambassador said, expressing his belief in a further affiliation in the future.

The VPA’s founding anniversary was also celebrated by the Vietnamese Embassy in India on December 16.

Ambassador Ton Sinh Thanh said defence cooperation has become an important factor in the comprehensive relationship between Vietnam and India since the two countries formed strategic partnership in 2007.

In Vietnam, celebratory meetings were held in the northern provinces of Tuyen Quang and Thai Nguyen.

On the occasion, the Mekong Delta province of Hau Giang presented houses to the families of war veterans and martyrs, retired officers and demobilized servicemen without accommodation.-VNA