Colonel Vo Van Thanh, Vietnamese Defence Attaché in the UK, speaks at the event. (Photo: VNA) London (VNA) – The Vietnamese Embassy in the UK held a ceremony to mark the 75th founding anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) on December 9 and the 30th All-People’s Defence Festival (December 22).
Prominent among the guests at the event was Mark Field, former Member of Parliament and former Minister of State for Asia and the Pacific at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the UK, and representatives of foreign embassies and defence attaché offices.
Colonel Vo Van Thanh, Vietnamese Defence Attaché in the UK, briefed the participants of the VPA’s development over the past 75 years and the birth of the All-People’s Defence Festival.
Vietnam has maintained defence ties with more than 80 countries worldwide, he said, adding that the country has played an active role in regional and international cooperative activities in this sphere, especially UN peace-keeping operations.
The officer stressed that the Vietnam-UK defence collaboration has contributed to the VPA’s development and international integration, with various activities like delegation exchanges, training and UN peacekeeping.
Since the two countries signed the first memorandum of understanding on defence cooperation in 2011, bilateral defence ties have taken big strides, contributing to their strategic partnership.
The two sides have held the annual Defence Policy Dialogue at the deputy ministerial level, Thanh said, adding that the British Ministry of Defence is one of the leading partners of the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence, especially in language and peace-keeping force training.
On this occasion, the Vietnamese Embassy and Defence Attaché Office introduced the 2019 White Paper on Vietnam’s National Defence./.
VNA
