(VOVworld) – Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong visited a naval unit stationed at Cam Ranh military base in Khanh Hoa province on Thursday.

Mr. Trong, who is Secretary of the Central Military Commission, praised the unit’s achievements in recent years and said it should contribute to building an elite, modern, revolutionary, and regular naval force in order to protect national maritime sovereignty.

He said: “The Party and state have developed a program to link maritime economic development with national defense and security. Our policy is to build the Cam Ranh international port, one of Vietnam’s leading deep seaports near the international sea route, into the region’s maritime ship repair and supply center. The port should contribute to Vietnam’s policy of diversifying and multilateralizing international relations and peaceful defense, increasing relations with foreign naval forces, promoting Vietnam’s role in the regional and global arena, and building the East Sea into a region of peace, stability, and development.” 

The commanders of the naval unit pledged absolute loyalty to the Party, fatherland, and the people and to safeguard Vietnam’s sovereignty over the waters under its control.