In recent years, Nghe An Party Committee and People’s Committee have constantly paid attention to leading, instructing and coordinating the implementation of military and defence missions in an effective manner, contributing to creating a favourable environment for rapid, sustainable development in all fields.

The province of Nghe An holds an important position in the strategy for socio-economic development, national defence and security of the whole country. On clearly understanding this matter, the Province Party Committee and People’s Committee have attached importance to the leadership, direction and successful execution of military and defence tasks in order to create a firm foundation for maintaining political stability and socio-economic development. Nevertheless, the quality of military and defence work in some localities, agencies and branches of the province has not been commensurate with the growing requirements of missions; people’s standard of living, especially those inhabiting in the border, remote and coastal areas, is still low; the weather witnesses complex developments; and the hostile forces exploit issues relating to democracy, human rights, religion, etc., to escalate their sabotage in an increasingly sophisticated, malicious manner. Those realities require the Province Party Committee to strengthen its leadership and direction over the implementation of military and defence missions, making contribution to maintaining political security, social order and safety, and creating a favourable environment for rapid and sustainable development in all fields.

First of all, the Province Party Committee needs to instruct organizations at all levels to step up propaganda and education with a view to raising the awareness of people, cadres and party members of the Party’s goals, standpoints and guidelines on national defence, especially Resolution of the 12^th Party Congress, “Strategy to Safeguard the Fatherland in the New Era,” the Politburo’s Resolution 28-NQ/TW (10^th tenure) on building provinces and cities under direct central rule into robust defence areas, the Politburo’s Resolution 26-NQ/TW on the “direction and mission to develop Nghe An Province for 2020,” Resolution of Nghe An Party Congress for the period of 2015-2020, Resolution 04-NQ/TU of the Province Party Committee on “leading defence, security work in the new situation,” and so forth. At the same time, it is important to focus on disseminating programs and projects of the Province Party Committee and People’s Committee on strengthening defence, security, social order and safety; establishing robust defence areas; cooperating with and assisting localities sharing their borders with Laos. On such basis, party executive committees and party organizations at all levels issue their resolutions and develop programs and plans of action; attach propaganda, education, unified awareness, and improved responsibility to launching movements of the masses to mobilize every resource needed for fulfilling military and defence missions, and establishing the all-people national defence and the all-people national defence posture in association with people’s security posture.

Comrade Nguyen Dac Vinh chair the conference on implementing the tasks of 2018 provincial defensive area exercise (Photo: baonghean.vn)

In order to successfully complete this task, the Province Party Committee and People’s Committee request localities and forces to innovate content and methods of educating, propagandizing and popularizing defence, security and legal knowledge among various elements. First of all, the province reviews, supplements, strengthens, and brings into play the role of the Council for Defence and Security Education and the Council for Legal Popularization and Education in leading advisory, inspection and supervision work while leveraging integrated strength of the whole political system and cultural institutions to improve the quality of this work. State management of national defence, defence facilities, defence land, and building robust defence areas is identified as a vital task by party executive committees at all levels. It is important to realize the role of military organizations in collaborating with other organizations at various levels and branches to develop potentials within defence areas. In addition, the province should complete planning of military posture; realize projects that can be used for both civilian and military applications; and supplement and accomplish plans for disaster prevention and relief, search and rescue, etc., in the defence areas. Plans for developing the self-defence force and militia; developing, mobilizing and receiving the reserve; store and mobilize forces, materials and equipment, especially those used for dealing with situations, are regularly prepared carefully.

The Province Party Committee leads the building of adept, lean and highly efficient armed forces. Accordingly, the militia and self-defence force are built in a robust, extensive direction in line with Circular 33/2016/TT-BQP of the Ministry of National Defence; perform their tasks according to the coordination regulation prescribed by Decree 133/2015/ND-CP of the Government; and are entitled to regimes and policies prescribed by Law on Militia and Self-Defence Force and Resolution 54/2016/NQ-HDND of the Provincial People’s Committee. Registration, selection, admission, and recognition for fulfilling duties in the militia and self-defence force are managed in a scientific manner. The province has also attached importance to building active militia and self-defence force in enterprises. The reserve is organized strictly according to Ordinance on the Reserve. The management, training and allocation of reservists to reserve units have been executed properly. The province has well conducted selection and enrolment according to stages, including propaganda, registration, medical check-up, vocational orientation, and so forth. The province accomplished its enrolment target, ensuring safety, transparency, democracy, and lawfulness in 2017.

The Province Party Committee and People’s Council has led, instructed and coordinated successfully combat training for forces, particularly the ability to fight in formation and as attached elements. Cadres at various levels have well perceived the motto of “basics, practicality, firmness” when conducting training for active forces, and “basics, practicality, quality” when training the militia and self-defence force, ensuring congruence with available weapons and equipment, and in close association with practicality and adversaries. Every year, the provincial armed forces successfully fulfill their assigned training content, programs and plans. The province instructs the Provincial Military Command to strictly implement daily, weekly and monthly regulations, especially those related to combat readiness, command in shifts and duty; and actively renew content and methods of conducting party work and political work in missions. The province also attaches importance to public mobilization, establishment of robust areas and political protection with a view to defeating the hostile forces’ strategy of “peaceful evolution” and schemes to incite “self-evolution” and “self-transformation” while paying attention to improving material and spiritual life of officers and soldiers, and realizing policies on military families, thereby cultivating soldiers’ political steadfastness, fine dignity and a strong sense of discipline; contributing to building the provincial armed forces into an adept and lean organization with increased integrated strength and combat power.

Building pure and strong Military Party Committee and robust local military organizations is considered as a fundamental task. The Province Party Committee requests military party executive committees at all levels to continue to improve leadership capacity and combat power of the party committees as well as the pioneering, exemplary role of leading cadres at all levels; coordinate effective implementation of the “Project to innovate political education in units at new stage” in association with implementing the “Determination to Win” Emulation Movement, Resolution of the 4^th Plenum of the Party Central Committee (12^th tenure) on Party building, the Politburo’s Directive 05-CT/TW (12^th tenure) on stepping up studying and following Ho Chi Minh’s thought, morality and style, and the campaign “Promoting tradition, devoting talent, deserving to be Uncle Ho’s soldiers” through concrete content, modes and models. Notably, it is important to focus on cultivating exemplary officers, party members, and soldiers who possess political steadfastness, healthy lifestyle, scientific working style, close relations with people, and professional skills.

Given increased requirement of safeguarding the Fatherland in the new situation, the Party Committee, authorities, people, and armed forces of Nghe An Province continue to bring into play the tradition of “Hero of the People’s Armed Forces”; always advocate “solidarity, democracy, creativity, and development”; and well fulfill military and defence missions in any situations.

Nguyen Dac Vinh, Member of the Party Central Committee, Secretary of the Nghe An Provincial Party Committee, Secretary of the Nghe An Provincial Military Committee