“Welcome solidarity, friendship, cooperation and development”

(Bqp.vn) - The 24th ASEAN Armies Rifle Meet (AARM-24) hosted by the Vietnam People's Army has officially opened in the morning November 19, 2014. On behalf of the leader of the General Staff, the Vietnam People's Army, Lieutenant General Nguyen Quoc Khanh, Deputy Chief of the General Staff, the Vietnam People's Army, Head of the AARM-24 Organizing Committee addressed the opening. The following is the full text of his AARM-24 opening speech.

Lieutenant General Nguyen Quoc Khanh spoke at the ceremony.

Your Excellencies Deputy Commanders of the ASEAN Armies,

Dear Comrades and Friends,

On behalf of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, the 24th ASEAN Armies Rifle Meet Organizing Committee and in the name of myself, I warmly welcome you, ASEAN armies shooting athletes to Vietnam to attend the meet. Wish the contingents to compete with best results.

Your Excellencies,

ASEAN Armies Rifle Meet held alternately every year in ASEAN countries is one of the beauties of the relations. Through the Meet, the Armies of the regional countries will have more conditions to integrate, exchange and increase solidarity, friendship, mutual understanding and learning. This year, the 24th ASEAN Armies Rifle Meet held in Vietnam is no exception to the purpose together towards building the armed forces in each country increasingly powerful, protecting the stability and development of each country, contributing to poverty alleviation, ethnic conflict, terrorism prevention, striving for the goal of peace, cooperation and development in the region and the world.

The 24th ASEAN Armies Rifle Meet is the competition among best athletes of ASEAN Armies. This is a good opportunity for the gunners to exchange, learn from experiences, build resilient, calm, confident, well-trained and battle-hardened skill and spirit before situations in actual combat.

Your Excellencies and athletes of the shooting contingents

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Hosting the 24th ASEAN Armies Rifle Meet is a great honor to our host country. With the honor and responsibility of the host, with the hospitality of the Vietnamese people, over the past days Vietnam People's Army has concentrated most efforts to do well all the preparatory work on infrastructure, ready to welcome you to come with the thorny and exciting competition of the best ASEAN Armies gunners. We believe that, with the careful preparation of the People's Army, and with your sympathy and support, the 24th ASEAN Armies Rifle Meet held in Vietnam will be a great success.

Once again, on behalf of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, the 24th ASEAN Armies Rifle Meet Organizing Committee wish you, the gunners and the delegates good health and happiness .

Wish the 24th ASEAN Armies Rifle Meet great success.

Welcome solidarity, friendship, cooperation and development!

Vu Nam