Present at the event were U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Atul Khare, U.N. Assistant Secretary-General Martha Pobee, and international guests who are ambassadors, mission heads, and military advisors from U.N. member states.
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Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the U.N., addresses the ceremony. |
In his speech, Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, Head of the Permanent Mission of Vietnam to the U.N., held that the establishment and development of the Vietnam Dissemination and Liberation Armed Team - the forerunner of the VPA - associated with the glorious history of the modern Vietnam and inherited the tradition of the Vietnamese nation’s struggle to defend the country from foreign invaders through thousands of years.
The ambassador underlined that over the past eight decades, under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam and with the support of the Vietnamese people, and the assistance of international friends, the VPA has significantly grown and achieved remarkable victories, including the Dien Bien Phu victory in 1954 and the Ho Chi Minh Campaign in 1975, which secured national independence and complete unification. At the same time, the VPA has also made considerable contribution to regional peace, stability, and humanitarian efforts.
On this occasion, Ambassador Giang stressed Vietnam’s “Four No’s” defense policy, along with a foreign policy of independence and active international integration. So far, Vietnam has actively and proactively participated in an array of bilateral and multilateral defense cooperation mechanisms, thus making contribution to strengthening strategic trust and also peace, security and development in the world.
Meanwhile, he emphasized that over the past ten years, Vietnam has deployed more than 800 personnel, including a high percentage of women, to U.N. peacekeeping missions, leaving a positive impression on the international community and receiving high appreciation from the U.N. and international friends.
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U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Atul Khare congratulates the VPA. |
In turn, on behalf of U.N. leadership, U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Atul Khare congratulated VPA on its achievements over the past eight decades.
The U.N. official emphasized the importance of peacekeeping as a pillar in the Vietnam-U.N. partnership and praised Vietnam’s outstanding contribution, particularly through its rotations of level-two field hospital and engineering company in several U.N. missions in Africa.
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Delegates pose for a joint photo at the event. |
Furthermore, he also expressed gratitude to Vietnam’s soldiers who sacrificed their lives for national liberation as well as international peace and security.
Translated by Minh Anh