At the hand-over ceremony
Ted Osius, the US Ambassador to Vietnam, and Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, member of the Communist Party of Vietnam’s Central Committee, permanent member of the Central Military Commission, Deputy Minister of National Defense, Head of the Ministry of National Defense’s Steering Board for Vietnam’s participation in the UN Peacekeeping Operations, co-chaired the hand-over ceremony in Hanoi.
The building (S5) includes 15 classrooms which can accommodate 600 trainees and an auditorium with the capacity of over 250 seats. This modern facility is for training and domestic and international activities related to the UN Peacekeeping Operations, contributing to strengthening training capacity for Vietnam peacekeeping forces. The inauguration of the building is also considered a milestone in the cooperation on peacekeeping between Vietnam and the US.
Additionally, the VPC worked in concert with relevant agencies to receive a package of equipment for training activities of a level 2 field hospital at Military Hospital 175 in Ho Chi Minh City. As scheduled, this set of equipment will be deployed to South Sudan in quarter 2 next year together with the deployment of Vietnam’s first Level 2 Field Hospital to the country to join the UN Peacekeeping Operations.
Delegates watch equipment for training activities of the level 2 field hospital.
Earlier, on February 6, 2015, the US Office for Defense Cooperation in Hanoi announced that the US Government agreed to provide two non-refundable financial packages for the construction of the S5 Building and a procurement of equipment for Vietnam’s engineering and medical forces participating in the UN Peacekeeping Operations. Moreover, the US also agreed to sponsor a set of equipment to assist the deployment of the level 2 field hospital, bringing the total financial assistance to the Vietnam peacekeeping forces to over USD 10 million.
Addressing the ceremony, General Vinh stressed that the Vietnam-US defense cooperation has developed strongly in recent years, including the peacekeeping capacity. The General thanked the US Government, the US Department of Defense, the US agencies in Vietnam, and Ambassador Osius for efficient assistance and cooperation with Vietnam.
The Deputy Defense Minister confirmed that the equipment and facility that the US and other countries supported Vietnam would be used properly, contributing to making the VPC a stronger one.
Translated by Nam Long