HANOI, Dec. 19 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam's Defense Ministry is expected, by 2012, to no longer manage its agencies and enterprises which engage in economic activities, according to local newspaper Young People on Wednesday.

    "We should separate (economic activities from defense ones) to focus on training, and building up a modern regular army," Defense Minister Phung Quang Thanh said at a meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Assembly, Vietnam's top legislature, on Tuesday.

    He said his ministry will hand over all defense entities which engage in economic activities to other ministries for management, maybe in 2012.

    According to the White Paper on Vietnam's National Defense Early Years in the 21st Century issued by the country in 2005, Vietnam advocates combining the national defense build-up with economic development while strengthening the national defense capabilities, coordinating activities in national defense, security and diplomacy.

    Also, it consistently advocates neither joining military alliance nor allowing foreign countries to have military bases in its territory.