Prime Minister: Border Guards thoroughly grasp the spirit of "sticking to the people, being close to the people, sticking to the area"

On the occasion of the 78th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People's Army and the 33rd anniversary of National Defense Day, on the afternoon of December 18, in Hanoi, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh visited and worked with the Border Guard Command. Also attending was General Phan Van Giang, Minister of National Defense.

Reporting to the Prime Minister at the working session, Lieutenant General Le Duc Thai, Commander of the Border Guard, stated that in 2022, the Party Committee, the Border Guard Command and Party committees and commanders at all levels have seriously grasped the direction of the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense; closely followed the reality, situation and requirements of border work tasks; united, unified, proactive, creative, with high determination and great efforts to lead and direct the comprehensive completion of border work tasks.

The Border Guard force grasps the situation, promptly reports, advises on policies and countermeasures that are realistic and effective; fights against and prevents crimes with high efficiency; strictly performs the tasks of combat readiness, natural disaster prevention and control, search and rescue; actively participates in building a solid all-people Border Defense, a solid all-people Border Defense posture, and building a strong border area.

According to Lieutenant General Le Duc Thai, the work of training, education, and building a comprehensively strong agency and unit "Exemplary, typical" has had positive changes. Logistics, technical, financial and other work aspects meet the requirements and tasks. Building a strong Party organization in terms of politics, ideology, ethics, organization and cadres.

Visiting, encouraging, and talking intimately with officers and soldiers of the Border Guard Command and some connecting points at A Pa Chai Border Post, Dien Bien province; Truong Sa Border Post, Khanh Hoa province; Ea H'leo Border Post, Dak Lak province, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh asked specific questions about the difficulties and advantages in the operations of the units, and made proposals and recommendations to the Party, State, and Government.

With officers and soldiers of A Pa Chai Border Guard Station, the Prime Minister focused on proactively organizing exchanges, sharing experiences, coordinating work with border forces of other countries, strengthening and consolidating friendship, and mobilizing people to build a peaceful, friendly, cooperative and developing border with Laos and China.

Regarding the Truong Sa Border Guard Station, the Prime Minister emphasized the need to closely coordinate with functional forces at sea to maintain independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and handle maritime issues on the basis of Vietnamese law, international law, especially UNCLOS 1982. Officers and soldiers of the Border Guard Station do a good job in foreign affairs, affirming that Vietnam is a good friend, a reliable partner, and a responsible member of the international community; preventing and combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing, preventing and combating crimes, conducting search and rescue operations at sea; contributing to the socio-economic development of the islands and the country.

Regarding the Ea H'leo Border Guard Station, the Prime Minister paid attention to the coordination between the Border Guard Party organization and the local Party organization where the troops were stationed, the work of developing Party members, mass mobilization work, and taking care of people's lives during Tet. The Prime Minister suggested reviewing and developing Party members in places where there are people but no Party members in the spirit of "where there are people, there are Party members".

Through the discussion, the Prime Minister assessed that the leaders and commanders of the border posts have a firm grasp of the situation, thoroughly grasped and well implemented the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws, especially the policy of increasing the number of Party committee members at the district and border commune levels who are border post officers.

Speaking to the officers and soldiers of the Border Guard, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated that after 78 years of building, fighting and growing up, under the leadership, education and training of our Party, President Ho Chi Minh and the Party's predecessors, our army has continuously grown stronger, steadfast in its goals and ideals of fighting for national independence, relying on the people, closely attached to the people; achieved many feats and outstanding achievements in the cause of national liberation and protection of the Fatherland, worthy of the praise of President Ho Chi Minh: "Our army is loyal to the Party, filial to the people, ready to fight and sacrifice for the independence and freedom of the Fatherland, for socialism. We complete every task, overcome every difficulty, and defeat every enemy", worthy of the title of the heroic army of the heroic Vietnamese nation.

The Border Guard is a people's armed force, a component of the Vietnam People's Army, and is the core force, specialized in managing and protecting the national border and border areas. The Border Guard is stationed at the front line, in difficult and arduous places; performing many tasks, the work is increasingly more numerous and heavier. "The most difficult places have comrades and the most difficult places also need comrades," the Prime Minister emphasized.

Praising many achievements and results that officers and soldiers of the Border Guard have achieved in 2022, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated that the Border Guard has proactively performed well its advisory function to the Party, State, Central Military Commission, and Ministry of National Defense on policies, measures, and solutions to organize and manage, firmly protect territorial sovereignty, border security, sea areas, and islands; coordinate with local forces and authorities to promptly and effectively handle issues related to borders, territorial sovereignty, incidents, and events occurring on the border and sea areas, avoiding passivity and surprise; maintaining security, order, and social safety in border areas and border gates.

The Border Guard force has actively contributed to the achievements of the whole country; well performed the functions and tasks of the Army as "a fighting army, a working army, a production labor army" - the Prime Minister praised.

Emphasizing the special importance of the stability of national borders, sovereignty and territory, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh basically agreed with the tasks and solutions of the Party Committee and the Border Guard Command and suggested that it is necessary to skillfully apply forms and methods of building, managing and protecting borders in today's era; combining the strength and tools of law and morality with the strength of the political system, especially the strength of the people, the strength of intelligence, people and Vietnamese culture, especially the unique culture of ethnic minorities in the border areas.

The Prime Minister requested the Border Guard to continue to improve its capacity to advise and organize the implementation of border work. Regularly grasp, assess, and accurately forecast the security and political situation in border areas, islands, and key areas; promptly advise and effectively handle situations, avoid being passive or surprised, firmly protect territorial sovereignty and national border security, and effectively handle non-traditional security challenges.

The Prime Minister emphasized that the Border Guard continues to coordinate in effectively implementing the National Border Protection Strategy, the Vietnam Border Law and legal documents related to management and protection of sovereignty and border security; synchronously deploying border management and protection measures; organizing strict management and protection and participating in resolving outstanding border issues and problems along the border lines.

The Border Guard actively participates in propaganda, prevention, handling, and preventing our fishermen from violating foreign waters, combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUU). Resolutely preventing and combating all types of crimes and law violations, especially drug crimes and cross-border crimes; proactively developing rescue plans, overcoming the consequences of natural disasters and epidemics. Promoting the application of information technology, digital transformation, reforming administrative procedures, improving the quality and effectiveness of border management and immigration - the Prime Minister emphasized.

The Prime Minister requested the Border Guard to thoroughly grasp the spirit of sticking to the people, being close to the people, and staying close to the area to do a good job of mobilizing the masses, grasping the thoughts and aspirations of the masses, actively participating in building a strong grassroots political system in the border areas; focusing on ethnic work. Implementing national target programs in the border areas, helping people develop the economy and society, eliminate hunger, reduce poverty, and build new rural areas. Participating in research, proposing mechanisms and policies, implementing the policy of sending people to border areas and islands, contributing to creating a "fence", a solid national defense posture to protect the Fatherland.

Along with that, effectively implement defense diplomacy and border diplomacy on both sides of the border; build close and friendly relationships with border protection forces of neighboring countries to contribute to building a peaceful, friendly, cooperative and developing border.

The Prime Minister emphasized the need to build a clean, strong, exemplary and representative Border Guard Party Committee; a contingent of officers and soldiers with strong political will, solidarity, unity, determination, and readiness to receive and successfully complete all assigned tasks. Resolutely fight against corruption and negativity. Continue to implement the Project on organizing the Border Guard force within the overall force organization of the Ministry of National Defense. Ensure good logistics and techniques for performing tasks; take care of the lives and health of soldiers.

Along with that, pay attention to the work of taking care of the Lunar New Year of the Cat, well implement the program "Spring Border Guard warms the hearts of the villagers"; closely coordinate with the Party committees and authorities of border localities to fully prepare facilities, organize for soldiers and people in border areas to welcome Spring, celebrate Tet happily, warmly, safely and economically; take care of policy beneficiaries and poor households in the area.

“Despite many difficulties and challenges, with the tradition of being twice awarded the title of Hero of the People's Armed Forces, the Party, State, Government and people always believe that you will always excellently complete all assigned tasks,” Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh stated.

On the occasion of the 78th anniversary of the founding of the Vietnam People's Army, the 33rd anniversary of the National Defense Day and in the atmosphere of preparing to welcome the new year 2023, the Lunar New Year of Quy Mao, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh sent his warm regards, wishes for health, happiness and success to the officers, soldiers, workers and civil servants of the Border Guard, compatriots and soldiers in the border and island areas; wishing you many new achievements and feats, continuing the tradition of "Absolute loyalty, solidarity, discipline, innovation and creativity, and peaceful borders".

According to VNA