Under the chair of Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, Deputy Defense Minister, Head of the Inter-Sectoral Working Group, and Head of the Ministry of National Defense (MND)’s Steering Committee for the Participation in U.N. Peacekeeping Operations, the program took place, on February 5, at broadcasting locations in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, UNISFA in Abyei, UNMISS in South Sudan, MINUSCA in Central African Republic, and the U.N. Headquarters in New York, the U.S. The program was co-held by the Military Broadcasting Center and the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations.
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Sr. Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien hands over gifts to Vietnamese peacekeepers. |
During the event, Gen. Chien handed over State President Vo Van Thuong’s gifts to the Vietnamese peacekeeping officers participating in U.N. peacekeeping operations.
On the occasion, the Vietnamese blue berets working far from home had a chance to receive encouragement from their families so as to overcome difficulties to fulfill all assigned tasks. This was also an opportunity for them to review their journey in U.N. peacekeeping missions via documentaries, contributing to spreading the image of the Vietnamese people and nation to the world. Their task achievements have been highly appreciated by the U.N. and international friends, bringing better life to people in countries with conflict.
Sharing his feelings, Senior Colonel Nguyen Viet Hung, Head of the Engineering Company Rotation 2 in UNISFA noted that promoting the achievements of the predecessors, the unit is trying its best to improve the infrastructure in Abyei and help local residents.
At the bridge location in the Central African Republic, Vietnamese blue berets were moved as receiving the sentiments and care from their relatives and comrades at home on the occasion of Tet 2024, helping reduce homesickness and bringing a cozy Tet atmosphere to them.
In South Africa, doctors of the Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 5 are actively making preparation for the Tet festival. According to Doctor Nguyen Ha Ngoc, Director of the hospital, this year, the unit will organize Tet together with international friends via many cultural and sport exchanges, make Chung cakes to popularize the cultural features of the Vietnamese Tet festival.
On behalf of the military and public security force working at the U.N. Headquarters in New York, Colonel Nguyen Ngoc Hai, a police officer, noted that Vietnam’s lunar New Year has been recognized as one of the U.N. official holidays. Therefore, Vietnamese blue berets have a day off to celebrate the traditional Tet.
Addressing the event, Gen. Chien expressed his pride of the development of the Vietnamese blue berets participating in U.N. peacekeeping missions. He took the occasion to encourage them and hoped that they would have a happy, cozy and safe Tet festival.
Translated by Minh Anh