Senior Lieutenant General Le Quang Dao, Deputy Chief of the General Staff, Deputy Head of the Inter-sectoral Working Group and Deputy Head of the MND’s Steering Committee on the Participation in U.N. Peacekeeping Operations, presided over the ceremony and assigned duties to the officers.
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Sr. Lt. Gen. Le Quang Dao presents the State President’s decisions to the officers. |
The four officers are Colonel Hoang Trung Kien of the Viet Nam Department of Peacekeeping Operations (VNDPKO), who will serve as a military performance and accountability reporting expert at the U.N. Headquarters; Colonel Pham Thi Nguyet Minh of the Political Academy, who will serve as a Military Observer with the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), replacing Major Le Thi Phuong Dung; Major Do Huyen Trang of the VNDPKO, who will serve as a a military expert at the Office of the Special Coordinator on improving the U.N. response to sexual exploitation and abuse (OSCSEA) at the U.N. Headquarters; and Senior Captain Vo Van Thien of the Army Officer Candidate School No.2, who will serve as a Military Observer with UNISFA, replacing Sr. Capt. Pham Duc Tho.
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Sr. Lt. Gen. Le Quang Dao delivers remarks assigning duties to the officers. |
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An overview of the ceremony |
The deployment marks a step forward in the professional capabilities of Viet Nam’s peacekeeping force, with Colonel Hoang Trung Kien and Major Do Huyen Trang becoming the first two Viet Nam People’s Army officers selected for the newly-introduced expert positions at the U.N. Headquarters in New York. Their appointments expand the presence of the Viet Nam People’s Army personnel in strategic-level bodies and agencies involved in advising, policy planning and strategic management at the U.N. Headquarters.
According to Major General Pham Manh Thang, VNDPKO's Director, the timely deployment of the two officers will help maintain the Viet Nam People’s Army representation at the U.N. Headquarters following the completion of the previous officers’ assignments. It also contributes to the policy of gradually expanding the areas, fields and positions in which Viet Nam participates, including higher-level leadership and command positions at U.N. missions and headquarters.
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Sr. Lt. Gen. Le Quang Dao and delegates pose for a joint photo with the four officers. |
Addressing the ceremony, Sr. Lt. Gen. Le Quang Dao congratulated the four officers and expressed confidence that they would bring their dedication, professionalism and capabilities to their new positions and successfully fulfill their assigned missions.
He asked the officers to thoroughly understand the Party and State’s foreign policy, place national interests above all else, and quickly adapt to a multinational working environment. During their assignments, they must strictly observe military discipline, respect the laws of the host country and U.N. regulations, and ensure safety in all respects.
Sr. Lt. Gen. Le Quang Dao also commended the VMDPKO and relevant agencies and units for their thorough preparations. He noted that all four officers had been carefully selected and received appropriate training and professional development, with qualifications, foreign-language skills and experience suited to their respective positions.
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Sr. Lt. Gen. Le Quang Dao presents the State President’s decision to Col. Kien. |
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Sr. Lt. Gen. Le Quang Dao presents the State President’s decision to Maj. Trang. |
On behalf of the officers, Maj. Trang said they had made thorough preparations. They pledged to maintain internal and international solidarity, successfully fulfill their missions, and help promote the image of Viet Nam and its friendly, humane and peace-loving people, as well as the noble qualities of Uncle Ho’s Soldiers, among international friends.
Translated by Tran Hoai