Nguyễn Phú Trọng delivers speech at the major political-military conference in Hà Nội yesterday. — VNA/VNS Photo Trí Dũng

HÀ NỘI – The Central Military Commission and the Defence Ministry held a major political-military conference in Hà Nội yesterday to review the armed forces’ performance in 2016 and to set tasks for 2017.
Addressing the event, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam and Secretary of the Central Military Commission, Nguyễn Phú Trọng, lauded the Central Military Commission and Defence Ministry’s for completing all its assigned tasks in the past year.
He said 2017 would be the second year for implementation of the 12th Party Congress resolutions and those of the 10th Military Party Organisation Congress, urging the whole army to focus on five key areas, including better forecasting and strategic consultations to avoid unforeseen threats.
He stressed the need to continue strengthening the people-based defence, the purity of the armed forces and the combination of defence-security and economic development in socio-economic plans, strategies and policies.
He also asked for stronger connections between defence-security and external relations expansion in line with the Party and State orientations.
The Party leader also underlined the importance of building a strong and corruption-free Party organisation.
Lt Gen Deputy Minister of Defence Phan Văn Giang delivered a report on the 2016 military and defence performance and its tasks for next year.
He said along with effective advice to the Party, Government and localities on defence matters, the military has been the major force in safeguarding the country’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and security, repairing the damage of natural disasters, and conducting search and rescue operations and mine clearance.
Giang underscored that in 2017, the army should continue improving training quality and strengthening order and discipline.
"It is crucial to conduct comprehensive reform and basic changes in the quality and effectiveness of education, training and science research in military schools, and pay more attention to implementation of political tasks and party building," he said.— VNS