The procession of Vietnam's national flag at the opening ceremony of the Army Games 2020 in Russia on August 23, 2020 (Photo: VOV)

Deputy Chief of Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, Lt. Gen. Ngo Minh Tien, head of the Vietnamese military delegation, said, “Through the sports festival, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we affirm that Russia is an important partner of Vietnam, of which military diplomacy, defense, and military cooperation are one of the pivotal pillars. This will contribute to the success of the Cross-Year of Friendship 2019-2020 between Vietnam and Russia. The Vietnamese competitors will confirm their combat readiness and exchange and learn from other countries' experiences so that in the upcoming international competitions, we will be more successful. ”

Attending the opening ceremony were Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov, and Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov. President Vladimir Putin did not attend but delivered an online opening speech.

This year, the military technical forum "Armya 2020" hosted by the Russian Defense Ministry will run for one week. And the Army Games will run until  September 5, concurrently in 5 countries: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Uzbekistan and Russia. Participating in this year's games are 156 teams from 32 countries, including Russia, and representatives from Europe, Asia and Africa. Six countries are participating for the first time, including Afghanistan, Guinea, Qatar, Namibia, Equatorial Guinea and Palestine.

An exhibition within the framework of the forum is displaying the latest weapon models and advanced military technologies. Nearly 1,500 industrial organizations and businesses are introducing more than 28 thousand models of modern weapons and techniques.