Buenos Aires (VNA) – In the past 80 years, the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) has kept growing and playing a crucial role in Vietnam's national liberation, building and safeguarding, said Marcelo Rodríguez, head of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Argentina (CPA).
Speaking with a Vietnam News Agency reporter on the occasion of the VPA's 80th founding anniversary (December 22, 1944 - 2024) and the 35th anniversary of the All People’s Defence Festival (December 22, 1989 - 2024), Rodríguez emphasised that in the 20th century, the world knew about the Vietnamese army for its glorious Dien Bien Phu victory defeating French colonialists, and later for the success of the general offensive and uprising of spring 1975 which defeated the US imperialists, unified the country, and firmly protected the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of socialist Vietnam.
Rodríguez, who is also Director of the Héctor P. Agosti Marxist Studies and Training Centre (CEFMA) in Argentina, particularly highlighted the leadership role of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and President Ho Chi Minh in Vietnamese people’s struggle for independence.
He underscored that the decision to establish the Vietnam Propaganda Unit of Liberation Army, the predecessor of the VPA on December 22, 1944 marks a significant historical milestone, embodying the CPV’s ideas on building a revolutionary armed force since its founding on February 3, 1930.
According to Rodríguez, an outstanding characteristic of the VPA is that it is a military force of the people, by the people, and for the people, as reflected right in its name. President Ho Chi Minh's view on the people’s military has been clearly reflected in the military field of the Vietnamese revolution since its inception. This is a distinctive feature of the Vietnamese army, one of the decisive factors contributing to the heroic tradition and courage of the Vietnamese nation to defeat all foreign aggressors.
Under the leadership of the CPV, the VPA has modernised while maintaining the nature of a revolutionary army, focusing on protecting the people and the country, he said, stressing that the Vietnamese people consider the military as an integral and inseparable part of the nation.
Mentioning the contributions of General Vo Nguyen Giap to the building and development of the VPA, the CPA official hailed the General as a master strategist and tactician, and an outstanding military talent. He said General Giap made significant contributions to the revolutionary cause of Vietnam, and his strategic genius is admired by friends worldwide.
He went on to say that today, amid ongoing conflicts and wars in many parts of the world, the VPA continues to actively contribute to humanitarian activities and participates in United Nations peacekeeping forces in Abyei, South Sudan, and the Central African Republic.
Rodríguez affirmed that the VPA’s participation in peacekeeping operations, disaster relief, and international cooperation reflects the great aspiration of the Vietnamese people for a world of peace and prosperity.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba (MINFAR) held a ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the VPA in Havana on December 11.
Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Cuba Le Quang Long emphasised that the VPA and the Cuban armed forces have maintained a close friendship for over 60 years, serving as a vital pillar in the traditional solidarity, special friendship, and comprehensive cooperation between the two countries.
Vietnam is determined to preserve and nurture this traditional friendship between the two armies as well as between the two Parties, States, and peoples.
The Ambassador reaffirmed that Vietnam will always stand side by side, support, and cooperate closely with Cuban people in their just revolutionary cause.
For his part, Major General Ernest Feijóo Eiró, Commander of the Western Army Group of MINFAR, praised the remarkable growth of the VPA over the past 80 years.
He emphasised that the VPA has proved that the most important factor during the war is not modern weapons or high technology, but brave individuals with a tenacious fighting spirit and faith in victory for the sovereignty of their nation. The Cuban people and the Cuban armed forces highly value their special relationship with Vietnam across economic, political, and military realms.
On this occasion, the Vietnamese Defence Attaché Office in Cuba presented gifts to Cuban veterans who contributed to Vietnam’s national liberation./.
