Border safeguarding needs participation of all: NA leader

Hanoi (VNA) – Safeguarding the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security in border and sea areas is a strategic task that requires the involvement of all individuals and the whole political system, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan said at a meeting in Hanoi on January 14.

The event, held by the Ministry of National Defence and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee (VFFCC), reviewed the implementation of the “All People’s Border Defence Day” during the 2009-2019 period.

Ngan emphasised that the national border and territory are sacred and inviolable which hold a strategic position with the utmost importance in terms of politics, economy, defence, security, and external relations.

Over the past few years, the Party and State have issued guidelines and policies for socio-economic development and defence-security consolidation to capitalise on resources specifically in border and sea areas. This local strength has served as the basis for developing the all people’s border defence, she said.

Ngan added that organising the “All People’s Border Defence Day” has been an effective policy, reflecting the Party and State’s profound attention to the building, management, and safeguarding of the national sovereignty and border security.

The parliament leader requested all-level authorities, sectors, agencies, and military units, officers, and soldiers consider the safeguarding of the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security in border and sea areas as an urgent, but also long-term task.

She also asked the VFFCC, ministries, sectors, agencies, and localities to join hands in promoting activities that target these areas so as to help comprehensively build strong border and sea areas.

In his opening speech, VFFCC President Tran Thanh Man said the Party, State, ministries, central agencies, and localities have carried out numerous solutions to comprehensively develop border areas in terms of politics, economy, culture, society, and defence-security.

Campaigns have been implemented nationwide, thereby mobilising enormous support for border and sea areas, and enhancing civil-military relations, he noted.

Sen. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Trong Nghia, Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics under the Vietnam People’s Army, reported that ministries and central agencies have concertedly and effectively built, managed, and safeguarded the national boundary.
They have also made suitable moves during the negotiation on and settlement of border-related issues, thereby firmly safeguarding the sovereignty and territory, and successfully handling complex issues with relevant countries, he said.

According to Nghia, the Vietnam-China and Vietnam-Laos borderlines have been clearly demarcated and planted with firm and modern border markers. On the Vietnam-Cambodia borderline, 265 of the 314 border marker positions have been located, and about 932.7km of the 1,137km border has been demarcated.

Many action programmes have also been launched to support poor people in border and sea areas, Nghia said, noting that they have built 7,000 houses and nearly 24,900 cows for the underprivileged, along with 300 public utility facilities for these areas. About 2,850 students with disadvantages in border areas have also been assisted, he added.–VNA