Hanoi (VNA) – State President Luong Cuong visited and attended the opening ceremony of the 2025 - 2026 academic year at the National Defence Academy on September 15.

President Cuong described the academy as a shining example in scientific research, strategic advice provision, theory development, and enhancing the leadership, direction, and management capacity of the Party and State in national defence and security, helping to build the military, strengthen national defence, protect the Fatherland early and from afar, maintain political and social stability, and lay a solid foundation for the national construction and defence cause.

As the world is still facing unprecedented challenges, he assessed that after 40 years of renewal, Vietnam has achieved great and historically significant accomplishments, with its potential, position, and reputation increasingly elevated on the international stage. However, the nation is also confronting many serious difficulties and challenges that cannot be overlooked, including in the fields of military, national defence, and security.

Therefore, the President emphasised the need to regularly update knowledge on military science, especially modern combat methods, multi-domain operations, high-tech warfare, cyber warfare, and the theory and practice of national defence in the context of increasingly complex traditional and non-traditional security challenges.

At the same time, efforts must closely align with the practical tasks of the country's military, defence, and security, tightly linking rapid and sustainable socio-economic development with firmly ensuring national defence and security in all situations, particularly during the process of reorganising the two-tier local administration system.

Additionally, the State leader stressed the importance of enhancing scientific research, strategic advice provision, and development of Vietnamese military art. He called for thorough understanding and effective implementation of the Politburo’s Resolution 57 on breakthroughs in science, technology, innovation, and national digital transformation; and maximise the country’s combined strength alongside the power of the times in the cause of building and defending the Fatherland.

On the other hand, the academy needs to enhance the quality of its defence diplomacy activities and expand international cooperation, President Cuong stated, noting that such cooperative activities should be diverse and closely integrated, combining the exchange and sharing of knowledge with promoting the image, position, and people of Vietnam, as well as its defence policy of peace, self-defence, and justice, so as to affirm the country’s resilience, intelligence, and reputation on the international stage.

Regarding leadership and direction in building the National Defence Academy into a strategically advanced, modern, and leading institution in the region with international reputation and influence, the President emphasised the necessity to develop its Party organisation to be truly clean and strong, and exemplary in politics, ideology, ethics, organisation, and personnel.

💞 The State leader expressed his confidence that the academy will excellently complete its tasks for the 2025 - 2026 school year, continue to be a pioneer in innovation in education and training, and build its image as a leading strategic academy in the region with international prestige, making important contributions to the national construction and defence cause./.