The Vietnamese Embassy and Defence Attache Office in Ukraine, in collaboration with the Vietnamese war veterans’ association in Ukraine, on December 21 held a ceremony to mark the 77th founding anniversary of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA) and the 30th All People’s Defence Festival (December 22).

Guests at the event included President of the Association of Veterans of Ukraine, Major General Vladimir Popovich and Ukrainian war veterans who used to help Vietnam during the war.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Defence Attache in Ukraine Colonel Nguyen Quang Chien reviewed the 77-year development of the Vietnam People’s Army and its feats in two resistance wars against the French colonists and American imperialists.

He highlighted results of Vietnam’s defence diplomacy including the country’s participation in United Nations peacekeeping operation and the deployment of the No. 2 field hospital in South Sudan and the Central African Republic, which were recognised and appreciated by the UN and the international community.

He thanked Ukrainian veterans for their support to Vietnam during the wartime, emphasising that Vietnamese people will never forget those contributions.

Major General Vladimir Popovich congratulated the VPA on the anniversary and wished the VPA to be more elite and modern, successfully fulfilling its task of protecting the Fatherland. He highlighted the long-standing friendship between the people, army and veterans of the two countries, and the close relations between the Veterans Association of Ukraine and the Embassy, the Defense Attache Office, the Vietnamese Veterans Association in Ukraine, adding that he looked forward to stronger relations between two sides in the future.

For his part, Nguyen Van Loan, chairman of the Vietnamese war veterans’ association in Ukraine, said Vietnamese veterans always maintain the virtues of Uncle Ho’s soldiers. They have actively participated in activities organised by the embassy as well as people-to-people diplomacy, contributing to promoting relations between two associations and building a stronger Vietnamese community in Ukraine, he said.

After the ceremony, the participants watched a documentary about the 77 years of development of the VPA and sang songs praising the heroic traditions of the VPA.

Source: Vietnam News Agency