Vietnam Defence Expo 2026: Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang Attends and Directs the Trade Promotion Conference

On April 29, the Promotion Conference for Vietnam Defence Expo 2026 took place in Hanoi. Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang—Member of the Party Central Committee, Member of the Standing Committee of the Central Military Commission, Deputy Minister of National Defense, and Chairman of the Exhibition Steering Committee—attended and delivered guiding remarks. Senior Lieutenant General Phung Si Tan, Deputy Chief of the General Staff and Chairman of the Exhibition Organizing Committee, presided over the conference. 

Attending the conference were leaders and commanders of the General Department of Defence Industry and various agencies and units under the Ministry of National Defence, alongside leadership representatives from both military and non-military enterprises.

Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang speaking at the Promotion Conference of the Vietnam Defence Expo 2026. 

The conference is organized to introduce information regarding Vietnam Defence Expo 2026 and mobilize enterprises to provide support and sponsorship; it aims to maximize the mobilization of social resources for the exhibition's activities, gradually reducing reliance on the State budget. 

Senior Lieutenant General Phung Si Tan speaking at the Conference

At the conference, delegates revisited the impressive highlights of Vietnam Defence Expo 2024, which was held to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Founding of the Vietnam People's Army. The exhibition was a resounding success, garnering high appreciation from Party and State leaders, the public, and the international community. 

Delegates at the Conference

Speaking at the conference, Senior Lieutenant General Phung Si Tan acknowledged, commended, and extended profound gratitude to the agencies, units, and both military and non-military enterprises for their enthusiastic and responsible contributions to the success of the 2024 exhibition.
He emphasized that this achievement was made possible not only by the close leadership and guidance of the Party, State, Central Military Commission, and Ministry of National Defence, as well as the tight coordination and synergy of relevant ministries and sectors, but also by the vital, dedicated, and effective contributions of the business community. Enterprises partnered and provided support through financial resources, human resource mobilization, intellectual contributions, organizational experience, design concepts, display content, and communication solutions, collectively working together to ensure the success of the exhibition.

Delegates at the Conference

As part of the conference program, leaders of the Ministry of National Defence presented flowers and commemorative plaques to acknowledge the contributions of the enterprises that sponsored Vietnam Defence Expo 2024.
Delivering his guiding remarks at the conference, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang emphasized that 2026 marks the inaugural year for implementing the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress and serves as a milestone to review 40 years of the 'Doi Moi' (Renovation) process, looking ahead to the 100th anniversaries of both the Party and the Nation. This is also a pivotal year for Vietnam to accelerate and achieve breakthroughs, entering a new phase of development in the nation's rising era, realizing the vision of becoming a strong and prosperous nation where the people are well-off and happy.

Overview of the conference

Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang affirmed that Vietnam Defence Expo 2026 is a pivotal defense diplomatic event, encompassing all the essential elements to realize the Party's major orientations on international integration and defense diplomacy. It serves to advance science and technology development, promote innovation, and widely disseminate Vietnamese culture to the world. The exhibition showcases the vision and mettle of the Vietnam People's Army, while reaffirming the steadfast confidence of the public and international friends in a Vietnamese defense industry that is autonomous, self-reliant, self-strengthening, dual-use, modern, and integrated. 

Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang presents flowers and commemorative plaques to recognize the contributions of sponsoring enterprises for Vietnam Defence Expo 2024. 

Senior Lieutenant General Phung Si Tan presents flowers and commemorative plaques to recognize the contributions of sponsoring enterprises for Vietnam Defence Expo 2024. 

According to the Deputy Minister of National Defence, Vietnam Defence Expo 2026 must be organized with higher standards, a more professional scale, and deeper cooperation, commensurate with the nation's rising stature in the international arena. It should provide an international platform for Vietnamese enterprises to engage in exchanges, share experiences, and enhance production capacity while mastering foundational and core technologies. This will enable them to integrate more deeply into global supply chains and promote the export of 'Made in Vietnam' defence products. 

Delegates at the Conference

Regarding the organizational approach, the Ministry of National Defence aims for socialization and professionalization, gradually reducing reliance on the state budget and striving to maximize the mobilization of social resources. To realize this policy, the Steering Committee and the Organising Committee look forward to the joint efforts, consensus, and contributions of both military and non-military enterprises to the exhibition's activities.
As planned, Vietnam Defence Expo 2026, hosted by the Ministry of National Defence under the theme 'Peace, Friendship, Cooperation for Mutual Development,' is scheduled to take place from December 10 to 13 at Gia Lam Airport, Hanoi. The event will span an area of nearly 150,000m² and feature a wide range of diverse and engaging activities.

Artistic performances welcoming the conference. 

The exhibition will feature pavilions and booths displaying and introducing defence and security products from various defence industry companies, including new and modern products researched and manufactured by Vietnam, alongside prominent weapons and technical equipment currently in service with the Vietnam People's Army.
Within the framework of the exhibition, there will also be exchange activities to promote cooperation between agencies, units, and enterprises, as well as business-to-business (B2B) networking. Other key activities include military technical seminars, showcases of economic achievements integrated with national defence, experiential activities for the general public, and performances featuring Vietnam's unique culture and arts. 

Source: QDNN