Losing sovereignty over seas and islands is a crime against ancestors and history.

The sovereignty of the Fatherland's seas and islands is sacred and everything. Losing sovereignty of the seas and islands means losing the flesh and blood, the ancestral incense that our ancestors left behind. We are guilty of our ancestors and the history of the Vietnamese people.

General Phung Quang Thanh emphasized this at the 50th Anniversary Ceremony of the Traditional Day of the First Victory of the Vietnam People's Navy and the Northern Army and People (August 2 and 5, 1964 - August 2 and 5, 2014) held this morning, August 4, in Hai Phong.

General Phung Quang Thanh speaks at the ceremony. Photo qdnd.vn

The heroic epic

Reviewing the heroic tradition of the Vietnam People's Navy and the army and people of the North 50 years ago, Admiral Nguyen Van Hien, member of the Party Central Committee, member of the Central Military Commission, Deputy Minister of National Defense, Commander of the Navy, emphasized: The victory of the first battle on August 2 and 5, 1964 was the beginning of the heroic epic of the Vietnam People's Navy, of the army and people of the North in fighting against the destructive war of the US imperialists; was the victory of the political and spiritual strength of the entire nation, of the determination to dare to fight, to fight and to know how to fight and win; was a symbol of Vietnamese mettle and intelligence.

The victory of the first battle affirmed: A nation, though small, always loves freedom and independence, never surrenders to invaders, even though they are many times more numerous and stronger; that is the victory of patriotism, hatred of the enemy and Vietnamese military art inherited and developed in the Ho Chi Minh era.

The victory of the first battle became an extremely important milestone for the Vietnam People's Navy in its history of building, fighting, winning and growing, motivating forces in the entire Navy to continue entering new battles, establishing new achievements in the cause of national liberation, as well as protecting the sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland today.

Reach out and take control

Speaking at the ceremony, General Phung Quang Thanh emphasized: 50 years have passed, but the lessons of the first victory are still very fresh, illuminating the work of building and defending the Fatherland today.

“In the current context, the situation of the sea and islands always has a great impact on the stability and peace of the country. The sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland is sacred, it is everything. Losing sovereignty of the sea and islands also means losing the flesh and blood, the incense of our ancestors, we are guilty of our ancestors, guilty of the history of the Vietnamese people”, General Phung Quang Thanh emphasized.

Regarding the current mission of the Navy, the Minister of National Defense pointed out: Our country, reaching out to the sea and mastering the sea has become an urgent need, because this is an important part of the renovation process, a content of the cause of industrialization and modernization of the country. Promoting the development of the marine economy, but at the same time, we must strengthen the ability to protect national sovereignty and interests, protect marine resources and ecological environment. This is the mission of the entire Party, the entire people, the entire army, with the People's Navy as the core.

To successfully complete the task, General Phung Quang Thanh requested that officers and soldiers in the Service need to continue to have a deeper understanding of the strategic position of our country's seas and islands in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland, in the cause of industrialization and modernization of the country.

Accordingly, officers and soldiers need to firmly grasp the viewpoints, guidelines, and policies of our Party and State in resolving disagreements and sovereignty disputes at sea. Be alert and sensitive to all developments, promptly detect new movements, predict early intentions to encroach on our seas and islands, handle countermeasures properly, avoid being surprised in any situation, do not let foreign countries create excuses, intervene, and cause armed conflicts in the seas. Maintain a peaceful environment, but at the same time must resolutely protect the Fatherland in all situations.

In the immediate future, it is necessary to focus on building a revolutionary, disciplined, elite, and modern Vietnam People's Navy, taking strong political construction as the basis for improving the quality and overall strength of the Service. Maintain the operation of existing weapons and technical equipment, and quickly master new types of weapons that have been equipped and researched, applying scientific and technological advances to improve and invent to improve the effectiveness of weapons and equipment. Raise the spirit of vigilance, combat readiness, stay alert and resolutely defeat all plots and tricks of "Peaceful evolution", riots and overthrow, "depoliticization of the army" by hostile forces. Continue to innovate to improve the quality of training, build a regular routine, practice discipline, improve the ability to manage and protect the sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland.

Build a good relationship of solidarity and close ties with the people, especially the people of coastal provinces. Every ship, every island, every station operating at sea must be a solid support for the people.

According to Hanoi Moi Online