Enhancing defence capabilities to sustain national security andterritorial integrity is a key and constant task of the Party, State andall people, with armed forces as core participants.

President Truong Tan Sang made the remarks at a working session withthe Ministry of Defence in Hanoi on April 1, aiming to review recentborder defence work and set out upcoming missions to protect thenational border in the light of integration.

TheVietnamese Party and State have been pushing international cooperationto resolve issues pertaining to the border, seas and islands to create astable environment and build borders of peace and friendship with otherneighbouring countries, President Sang said.

Herequired the authorities concerned to pay great attention to improvinglocal living standards in line with spurring economic growth andbuilding a strong people-based defence.

Participantsat the meeting agreed that the work on protecting sovereignty,political security and social order in the border areas, seas andislands has been sustained, while the relationships between Vietnamand its border-sharing countries have increasingly grown and expanded.

The defence ministry, Border Guard High Commands andlocalities nationwide were hailed for putting forth many policies andsolutions to coordinate with other countries to implement effectivelyagreements and regulations on border gates and border marker planting,thus creating a basis for promoting cross-border cooperation.-VNA