The event was chaired by Deputy Defense Minister Sen. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh, who is also Head of the inter-sectorial working group for Vietnam’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations and Head of the Defense Ministry’s Steering Committee on Vietnam’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations.
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Deputy Defense Minister Sen. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh speaks at the conference. |
Addressing the conference, Maj. Gen. Hoang Kim Phung, Director of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations, said that from June 2014 to December 2020, Vietnam sent 179 officers and soldiers, including 126 military medical staff members of the two level-2 field hospitals (L2FHs), to the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, the Central Africa Republic and the UN Peace Operation Department at the UN headquarters. He added that the contributions of Vietnam’s L2FHs have been highly appreciated by leaders of the UN peacekeeping missions and the host countries’ governments.
Notably, two Vietnamese officers successfully passed the United Nations’ tests to become employees at the UN Department of Peace Operations, in New York, USA in 2020. Vietnam is also training 259 sappers for future engagement in peacekeeping operations, the officer noted.
At the event, delegates agreed that Vietnam’s involvement in UN peacekeeping operations has helped promote defense cooperation between the country and partners, enhanced its position and prestige in the regional and global arena, and contributed to Vietnam’s successes in running for a non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council in the 2020-2021 tenure.
They stressed that along with maintaining the operation of the level-2 field hospital in South Sudan and sending officers to undertake various positions at UN peacekeeping missions, Vietnam will seek opportunities to deploy a sapper contingent to a UN peacekeeping mission, while considering the possibility of expanding its engagement in other peacekeeping operations such as military police, ground security guarding and helicopter transportation. Vietnam will also continue to send officers as candidates for commanding positions at UN missions and agencies.
Speaking at the event, General Vinh reaffirmed that relevant agencies have successfully collaborated with the Ministry of National Defense, contributing to the success of Vietnam’s participation in the UN peacekeeping operations.
He noted that Vietnam’s engagement in the UN peacekeeping operations will be expanded in the time to come, contributing to raising the country’s position in the region and world.
Translated by Trung Thanh