Dung made the suggestion at a conference yesterday in Ha Noi on military and defence affairs. He also urged the armed forces to maintain sound co-ordination with other forces and keep social order. The country must be ready for unpredicted, complicated developments in regional and global situations, he said.

The army needed to master modern weapons, vehicles and technologies to reinforce the nation's self-defence and combat capabilities, Dung said. It should also work on developing the defence industry, with a focus on bettering maintenance service. Developing new equipment and vehicles to support the armed forces' defence and combative readiness was also important, he said.

The army should continue helping with local economic, cultural, and educational development; health care; and building new rural areas. It should also head up search and rescue missions and natural disaster response, he said.

Due attention must be given to promoting the tradition of unity in building the revolutionary, regular, elite and modern army, Dung said.

VNS/VNN