President Urges Defence Ministry To Build A Strong And Modern Army

Source: Vientiane Times

President Thongloun Sisoulith, who is also Party Secretary General, has instructed members of the Ministry of National Defence to continue to build a strong and modern army.

The president gave the advice when addressing a meeting of the ministry on Wednesday to review its work over the first six months of this year and set directions for the second half of the year.

He urged the ministry to continue to focus on important issues, including building the army into a strong defence force step by step.

The army should be strong, he said, and personnel should be clear about what areas of development to focus on and which sections of the army were most in need of improvement.

Military commanders should decide what shape the army should take, the specific areas that need to be developed and improved, and the kind of force the army should become in the long run.

Understanding of situations and circumstances should be clear and precise so that mistakes did not occur in decision-making.
The president also said the army must continue to support the government in resolving economic problems and strengthen its mission to reduce the burden on the government as much as possible so that the government had the strength to help the army with strategic issues.

Saving and effective spending should be the army’s watchwords, he added.

“Our army, our armed forces, will continue to have a good legacy in helping the people, helping to eradicate poverty, and providing help in times of disaster as it has always done, gaining people’s full trust in the past,” he said.

“Our army must continue to attach importance to relations with friendly countries near and far, especially with strategic friends, and know how to compete, learn and accept selective cooperation with wisdom,” he added.

President Thongloun also praised the achievements of the army in past years by upholding the strategy of protection and development of the nation under the direct and comprehensive guidance of the Party.