According to VNA, within the framework of activities to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People's Army (December 22, 1944 - December 22, 2024) and the 35th anniversary of the National Defense Day (December 22, 1989 - December 22, 2024), international friends expressed their impression and warmly congratulated the outstanding growth of the Vietnam People's Army as well as the development achievements in many fields of Vietnam.
At the ceremony held on December 12 in the capital Pretoria, General Rudzani Maphwanya - Chief of the South African Defence Force - affirmed: "Today's ceremony is not only the founding day of a military organization but also praises and honors the enduring spirit of a nation that has demonstrated unparalleled resilience in the face of adversity. The Vietnam People's Army is a beacon of sacrifice, determination and solidarity. Over the past 80 years, the army has been the defender of Vietnam's sovereignty and the backbone of national security and stability."
Dr. Takashi Hosoda - Assistant Professor at the Institute of Intelligence Studies, National Defense University of Brno (Czech Republic) - highly appreciated the heroic tradition of the Vietnam People's Army over the past 80 years, as well as the close bond between the army and the people of Vietnam, and said that this is very important for the growing development of the Vietnam People's Army.
Vietnamologist Sandra Scagliotti - Honorary Consul of Vietnam in the cities of Turin and Genoa, Italy - highlighted the impressive fighting tradition of the Vietnam People's Army. She commented: “The Vietnam People's Army is the origin and core of the Vietnamese armed forces, an army of the people, for the Vietnamese people, a nation always ready to sacrifice for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland, for socialism and the happiness of the people. Right from its establishment, the Propaganda Team of the Liberation Army with only 34 officers and soldiers affirmed the strength of the nation's tradition of steadfastly fighting against foreign invaders; at the same time, it promoted the military art of "using few to defeat many, using small to defeat big", the consensus of "determined to fight, determined to win".
Cuban journalist and writer Luis Manuel Arce Isaac - a war correspondent in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Nicaragua - was particularly impressed by the maturity of the Vietnam People's Army. Mr. Issac emphasized that the Vietnam People's Army has achieved outstanding victories against the most powerful armies in the world such as France, Japan and the United States. With its strength, experience, bravery and strategic capacity, the Vietnam People's Army today has become an elite and modern army.
Journalist and writer Issac also highly appreciated Vietnam’s “4 no’s” defense policy. According to him, this policy is reflected in the readiness for defense cooperation - a pillar in the strategic partnership with the armed forces of many countries, including those with different ideologies. He also praised the fact that Vietnam - a country that has just ended the war - has sent officers to participate in the United Nations peacekeeping mission.
Journalist Gaston Fiorda - National Radio of Argentina - praised the contributions of the Vietnamese military, the pride of the Vietnamese people as well as the symbol of heroic sacrifice and courage. Today, the Vietnam People's Army continues to actively promote international cooperation and integration in many fields such as humanitarian assistance, search and rescue, overcoming the consequences of war, and also actively participates in United Nations peacekeeping missions, contributing to building peace in the world.
