Deputy Defense Minister Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien, who is also Head of the Vietnam inter-sectorial working group for Vietnam's participation in the U.N. peacekeeping operations, chaired the ceremony.
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Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien speaking at the event |
Speaking at the event, Major General Hoang Kim Phung, Director of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations (VNDPKO), held that Vietnam has sent 11 officers to the U.N. peacekeeping missions in Central Africa and South Sudan in the 2019-2020 period, and one of them was Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thi Minh Phuong, who was, General Phung said, the first Vietnamese female officer to undertake the task as a military observer at the U.N. Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS). Her tenure was five months longer than the initial schedule because of the COVID-19 pandemic, he added.
Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Thi Minh Phuong was recognized by the U.N. as having excellently completed her task in all criteria. For her significant contributions, the Vietnamese female officer has been awarded the “For the U.N. peacekeeping cause” medal of the U.N. and received a certificate of merit from the UNMISS Commander, General Phung stated.
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Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien handing over decision to Lieutenant Colonel Vu Thi Kim Oanh |
According to VNDPKO Director, Lieutenant Colonel Vu Thi Kim Oanh will take over the task of Lieutenant Colonel Tran Van Giang as a military observer and become the fifth Vietnamese female officer to undertake U.N. peacekeeping missions individually. So far, Vietnam has sent 39 female officers to U.N. peacekeeping missions.
Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien asked Lieutenant Colonel Vu Thi Kim Oanh to bring into play the heroic traditions of the Vietnam People’s Army, strictly follow the policies of the Party, the State and the military on foreign relations and observe military disciplines and regulations of the U.N. and the law of the host country.
The deputy defense minister noted that Oanh should overcome difficulties, promote creativeness and solidarity when doing her task, and ensure good physical health to fulfill all assigned missions.
Lieutenant Colonel Vu Thi Kim Oanh thanked for the care of the defense ministry’s leadership and affirmed that she was ready for the mission. She pledged to continue acquiring knowledge and actual experience to better accomplish her task in the time to come.
Translated by Trung Thanh