During their stay in France, the Vietnamese delegation visited the Combat Support Center (Derstachement d'adaptation opérationnelle) under the first RCA Regiment of the French Army, Asia-Pacific Division under the Defense Staff of the French Armed Forces.
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The VNDPKO delegation visits the Combat Support Center. |
At the visit to the first RCA Regiment, the delegation was briefed on the unit’s structure, organization, and tasks. Particularly, the center is tasked with managing, training, and deploying artillery and ground forces of the French military. It also offers the last training for prospective forces, including peacekeepers to be deployed to U.N. missions. Also at the center, Vietnamese officials observed the practices on unit protection, giving first-aid, and handling riots.
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Sr. Col. Pham Manh Thang presents a souvenir to the French officer. |
Col. Thang spoke highly of the similarities between the center’s training programs for peacekeepers, especially for those in the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and the pre-deployment training of the VNDPKO, such as close-to-reality training contents, taking advantage of former peacekeepers’ experience, getting updated information to renovate training programs, among others.
Working with Captain Francois Duhomez, head of the Asia-Pacific Division of the Defense Staff of the French Armed Forces in Balard, Paris, Col. Thang emphasized that the peacekeeping cooperation between Vietnam and European countries, particularly France, has had positive developments. The Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense and the French Ministry of Armed Forces signed a technical agreement on cooperation in U.N. peacekeeping operations in November 2016. The European Union sent three experts to take turns to assist the VNDPKO in training peacekeepers. Moreover, Vietnam sent two officers to European Union Training Mission in the Central African Republic (EUTM RCA).
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The Vietnamese delegation visits a training facility at the center. |
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Col. Thang talks with French officers. |
The Vietnamese official hoped the two sides would further their effective cooperation with a focus on exchange of delegations, instructors, experts, and trainees. He said that the Vietnamese department is willing to welcome French peacekeeping experts. He asked the French side to consider supporting the transport of Vietnamese peacekeepers to U.N. missions.
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Views on the host's exercises |
Highly appreciating Vietnamese peacekeeping force’s achievements, Captain Francois Duhomez wished that peacekeeping cooperation activities with Vietnam would be developed in a more effective manner and agreed with the Vietnamese side’s proposals on cooperation orientations.
He also talked about contents that the U.N. is paying attention to and considering including in peacekeeping cooperation activities, such as response to climate change, and false information about peacekeeping operation in U.N. missions.
Translated by Mai Huong