The Embassy of Viet Nam and the Viet Nam Defence Attaché Office in Brunei Darussalam commemorated the 80th Anniversary of the founding of the Viet Nam People’s Army (December 22, 1944) and the 35th Anniversary of the All-People National Defence Festive Day (December 22, 1989) with a ceremony held on December 17.
The event, hosted at the Viet Nam Embassy, was attended by Vietnamese Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam Tran Anh Vu, Defence Attaché Colonel Nguyen Ngoc Huan, and Acting Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence Poh Kui Choon as the Guest of Honour.
Senior officials from the Ministry of Defence, the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, foreign defence attachés, diplomats, and members of the Vietnamese community in Brunei were also present.
In his opening speech, Colonel Nguyen Ngoc Huan highlighted the achievements and contributions of the Viet Nam People’s Army over the past eight decades. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of Viet Nam, the army has grown into a vital political and military institution. He also discussed the significance of the All-People National Defence Festive Day, which underscores Viet Nam’s commitment to a strong, people-centric defence strategy.
Colonel Nguyen elaborated on Viet Nam’s “4 No” defence policy, which prioritises non-alignment, respect for territorial sovereignty, peaceful international relations, and defence diplomacy. He noted that the Viet Nam People’s Army has established defence ties with over 100 countries and actively contributes to regional and international security initiatives.
The ceremony highlighted the strong defence cooperation between Brunei and Viet Nam, supported by the Memorandum of Understanding on Defence Cooperation signed in 2005.
Over the years, both nations have engaged in high-level delegation exchanges, multilateral consultations, and training programmes. Vietnamese military officers have participated in training courses organised by Brunei’s Ministry of Defence and the Royal Brunei Armed Forces, such as English language training and executive development programmes, fostering mutual understanding and professional development.
The Action Plan for implementing the Viet Nam-Brunei Comprehensive Partnership (2023–2027) emphasises collaboration in defence, security, education, and people-to-people exchanges. These efforts aim to strengthen strategic trust, address shared challenges, and contribute to building the ASEAN Community.
Colonel Nguyen reaffirmed Viet Nam’s commitment to deepening bilateral defence ties, contributing to peace, stability, and prosperity in the region. – Fadley Faisal
