Implementing its assigned functions and tasks, the Vietnam Coast Guard has been synchronously deploying professional aspects to enforce and maintain the law on sea, contributing to firmly defending national sovereignty, sovereignty rights, and jurisdiction and maintaining a peaceful and stable environment on the seas and islands of the Fatherland.

It is forecasted that in the coming time, the East Sea will continue to have new, complicated, quick developments, directly affecting peace and stability on Vietnam's seas and islands. Major countries continue to increase activities to affirm their positions and influence in the region to achieve their goals. That raises a very high demand for the task of protecting national sovereignty, sovereignty rights, and jurisdiction at sea. Recognizing the functions and tasks assigned, the Vietnam Coast Guard Party Committee and High Command have defined the guidelines on resolutely and persistently struggling to contribute to maintaining peace and stability of seas and islands of the Fatherland. Specifically, it is required to well implement the function of strategic advice in the areas of ​​responsibility. The Vietnam Coast Guard continues to thoroughly grasp the policies and guidelines of the Party and State on handling issues in the East Sea, actively advising and proposing policies to timely and effectively prevent and handle arising problems and situations at sea by peaceful measures in accordance with international conventions and laws. The Vietnam Coast Guard Party Committee and High Command have directed units to continue working closely with forces to well grasp and forecast the situation, especially new moves at sea and improve the quality of study and accurate assessment of the objects and partners, ensuring the proper, right, and timely advice. On the other hand, they continue to advise on accelerating the implementation of the Vietnam Coast Guard modernization roadmap, focusing on the implementation of the Project  entitled “Building the Vietnam Coast Guard to 2020 and beyond” towards “elite, compact, strong, and highly professional”. In particular, attention has been paid to the construction of “three-strong” agencies and units, investment in infrastructure construction, procurement, construction of new ships, boats, and equipment to ensure the synchronism and modernity.

Proffessional training at the Training Centre of the Vietnam Coast Guard

In order to well implement the above-mentioned requirements and tasks, the Party committees and commanders at all levels within the Vietnam Coast Guard will strengthen political education and build up their stuff and determination in implementing their tasks for officers and soldiers. The Party Committee and High Command will direct the agencies and units to intensify to thoroughly grasp the views and guidelines of the Party and the State on the task of building and defending the Fatherland and building a “revolutionary, regular, elite, and modern” Vietnam Coast Guard force with high professionalism. At the same time, they will be required to strictly implement the political education regimes for all subjects and thoroughly grasp the thematic contents on “Strengthening the great unity bloc of the entire nation and building a clean and strong Party and political system in accordance with Ho Chi Minh thought, ethics, and style”; to promptly notify the situation, orient cognition, thought, and action and build a strong political stuff and high sense of determination for officers and soldiers in the performance of tasks. The entire force will strengthen to thoroughly grasp and implement Decision No.1059/QĐ-TTg issued on August 22^nd, 2019 by the Prime Minister on Approving the Plan on Propagation and Dissemination of Vietnam Coast Guard Law in the  2019 – 2023 period to make officers and soldiers master the functions, obligations, and entitlements of the Coast Guard and related forces, thereby raising awareness, sense of compliance, and strict observance to the provisions of the Law in the implementation process.

Along with that, the entire force will focus on improving the quality of professional training. Agencies and units will enhance the leadership and direction of the training tasks and promote the dissemination and implementation of directives and resolutions on improving the quality of training in order to create breakthroughs in overall quality and combat power. Attention will be paid to renewing the contents, forms, and methods of training, on which importance will be attached to comprehensive and intensive training, taking the task of protecting sovereignty, law enforcement and building a modern Coast Guard as a training objectives, and firmly grasping Vietnamese and international laws. Accordingly, the combined strength of all means, weapons, and support tools and physical strength of officers and soldiers will be improved to effectively combat against law-breaking acts and well implement their tasks of protection of sovereignty, sovereignty rights, and jurisdiction over Vietnam's seas and islands by legal and peaceful means.

Practise shooting on sea

Continue to coordinate closely with the forces, Party committees, and authorities of coastal localities to create synergy to protect sea and island sovereignty. Agencies and units will thoroughly grasp and well implement the Government's decrees and the rules and regulations on the coordination of activities between the Vietnam Coast Guard and other forces in performing tasks, especially Decree No.66/2010/NĐ-CP issued on June 14^th, 2010 by the Government on promulgating the “Regulations on coordination in performing State management of activities of the Coast Guard force and the coordination of activities among forces on the seas and continental shelves of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam” and Decision No.133/2002/QĐ-TTg issued by the Prime Minister on “Regulations on coordination between the Public Security, the Border Guard, the Coast Guard, and the Customs forces in the combat against drug-related crime in the border, border gate, and sea areas”, to make officers and soldiers master the functions, obligations, and entitlements of the Coast Guard, build high motivation and sense of responsibility, and promote synergy in implementing the tasks. Through coordination, it is to timely grasp the situation, give advice, propose measures, and participate in handling national defense and security situations and implementing the task of protecting sovereignty and enforcing the laws at sea. It is also to continue to finalize the signing of the regulations on coordination of mass mobilization program entitled  “The Coast Guard accompany fishermen” with coastal provinces and cities; and to promote the propagation and dissemination of the Vietnam Coast Guard Law to officials, Party members, and people, especially fishermen so that everyone can grasp, understand, and comply with the provisions of the Law and be ready to abide by the mobilization of manpower and means to participate in the struggle to protect the sovereignty of sea and islands.

Promoting the achievements in recent years, the Coast Guard force will continue to promote the defense foreign affairs and international cooperation on the Coast Guards. Attention will be paid to expanding relationships, effectively maintaining information exchange mechanism, cooperating with law enforcement forces of ASEAN countries, especially those with adjacent waters, and exchanging and working with the China Coast Guard on the situation and activities of violating Vietnam's territorial waters and strictly implementing the contents of the memorandum of cooperation signed by the two countries. At the same time, the cooperation relationships with law enforcement forces of countries will be effectively maintained to gain experience and improve the capacity on task implementation and law enforcement at sea. In addition, the Vietnam Coast Guard force will actively perform the role and responsibilities of the focal point that permanently implements the agreements, such as the Agreement on Fisheries Cooperation in the Gulf of Tonkin, the Agreement on regional cooperation in anti-piracy and armed robbery against vessels in Asia (ReCAAP) ...; maintain the operational efficiency of the Information Sharing Center on regional cooperation in anti-piracy and armed robbery against vessels in Asia (ReCAAP ISC); coordinate and share information with the Singapore-based Information Fusion Centre (IFC), the Anti-piracy Information Center of the International Maritime Administration in Malaysia (IMB), etc., contributing to maintaining the sea of peace, stability, friendship, cooperation, and mutual development.

Sea and islands are an inseparable sacred territory of the Fatherland. Thoroughly grasping the viewpoints and policies on defending the Fatherland of the Party, the Vietnam Coast Guard will continue to promote the construction a “revolutionary, regular, elite, and modern” force and coordinate with other forces in persistently fighting for firmly defending the national sovereignty, sovereignty right, and jurisdiction.

Lieutenant General, PhD., Nguyen Van Son, Commander of Vietnam Coast Guard