State President Lương Cường greets officers of Military Zone 7 in HCM City on Tuesday. — VNA/VNS Photos Lâm Khánh

HCM City — A ceremony was held in HCM City on Tuesday to mark the 80th traditional day of the armed forces of Military Region 7 (December 10, 1945-2025) and to confer the title Hero of the People’s Armed Forces upon the unit.

State President Lương Cường, who also serves as Chairman of the Council of National Defence and Security and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, attended the event and delivered keynote remarks.

Addressing the ceremony, President Cường highlighted that over the past eight decades, the armed forces of Military Region 7 have remained absolutely loyal to the Party and the fatherland, closely bonded with the people, and steadfast in overcoming all challenges.

They have fought heroically and secured numerous outstanding victories, making significant contributions to national liberation and reunification, and to the cause of building and safeguarding the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam, while also fulfilling many noble international duties.

He stressed that Military Region 7 holds a strategic and pivotal position, covering HCM City and the neighbouring provinces of Đồng Nai, Tây Ninh, Lâm Đồng. It is a dynamic, fast-growing region leading the country in many fields, while also being a key area where hostile forces intensify their sabotage activities.

State President Lương Cường confers the title Hero of the People’s Armed Forces upon the unit as recognition of their contributions to the homeland.

To meet the requirements of the new period, the leader called on the Party Committee and Command of Military Region 7 to maintain absolute, direct leadership of the Party, the Central Military Commission, and the Ministry of National Defencein all aspects, and thoroughly grasp President Hồ Chí Minh’s military ideology as well as the Party’s guidelines on military, defence, and external affairs, particularly the strategy for safeguarding the fatherland in the new situation.

President Cường stressed the need to continue building the armed forces of Military Region 7 into a revolutionary, regular, elite and modern force, while enhancing overall strength and combat readiness. They must also strictly maintain combat duty routines and intensify the management of airspace, territorial waters, border areas, external zones, cyberspace, and other strategic locations.

He also underlined the importance of promptly adjusting training curricula and methods in line with real-world conditions; promoting weapons and equipment modernisation; and strengthening scientific and technological development, innovation, and digital transformation in military and defence activities.

The President expressed his confidence that officers and soldiers of Military Region 7 will continue to uphold the region’s proud tradition of “absolute loyalty, proactivity and creativity, self-reliance and resilience, unity and determination to win”, and strive to fulfil all assigned tasks with excellence.

At the ceremony, on behalf of the Party and State leadership, the leader presented the Hero of the People’s Armed Forces title to the Military Region 7 in recognition of their exceptional achievements in training, combat readiness, army building, and national defence.

Party General Secretary Tô Lâm, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn, and permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Trần Cẩm Tú sent floral congratulations to the ceremony.

Earlier the same day, President Cường and delegates offered incense and flowers at the Hồ Chí Minh statue and planted commemorative trees within the compound of Military Region 7. — VNA/VNS