Speaking at the event, Deputy Defense Minister, Head of the Inter-sectoral Working Group and Head of the MND’s Steering Committee for the Participation in U.N. Peacekeeping Operations Senior Lieutenant General Hoang Xuan Chien lauded the VNDPKO for results and achievements obtained over the past ten years and congratulated the department’s personnel and the Vietnamese peacekeeping force on their glorious achievements.
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Sr. Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien speaks at the event. |
The Vietnamese deputy defense minister affirmed that Vietnam’s participation in U.N. peacekeeping operations has left good impression of the country, its people, military, and public security forces, on the international community; helped embellish the image of Uncle Ho’s soldiers who love peace, have the heart of gold, and are ready to join hands to address issues confronting the international community, contributing to protecting the Fatherland early and from afar by peaceful means and raise the country’s stature and prestige in the international arena.
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Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang hands over the third-class Fatherland Protection Order to the VNDPKO. |
Gen. Chien stressed that rapid, complex, and unpredictable developments of regional and international situation would have strong impact on political security and world peace, posing new requirements for the U.N. peacekeeping operations. He urged the VNDPKO and the Vietnamese peacekeeping force to focus on actively and pro-actively advising the Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense to make recommendations to the Party and State to complete legal documents and build a law on participation in U.N. peacekeeping operations and policies for the Vietnamese peacekeeping force.
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Sr. Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien hands over the third-class Fatherland Protection Order to the Engineering Company Rotation 1. |
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Sr. Lt. Gen. Phung Si Tan hands over the Prime Minister’s Certificate of Merit to Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 4 and Sr. Col. Mac Duc Trong. |
Reviewing the development of the VNDPKO and its obtained results, the department’s Director Senior Colonel Pham Manh Thang said that the Vietnamese peacekeeping force has exerted utmost efforts in carrying out assigned missions. As missions’ chains-of-command and U.N. agencies evaluated, the Vietnamese peacekeepers have left good impression of professionalism, creativeness, and high disciplinary spirit on them.
Over the past one decade, Vietnam has sent over 800 officers and non-commissioned officers to participate in U.N. peacekeeping operations, including five level-2 field hospitals to the U.N. Mission in South Sudan, two engineering companies to the U.N. Interim Security Force for Abyei, and 114 officers deployed as individuals.
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Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang and domestic and foreign delegates in a joint photo |
On this occasion, the department’s head thanked leaders of the Party, State, Central Military Commission, Ministry of National Defense, inter-sectoral working group, the defense ministry’s steering committee, agencies and units in the whole military, and international partners and organizations for creating favorable conditions for the unit to well complete missions assigned by the Party, State, and people.
At the ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang handed over the third-class Fatherland Protection Order to the VNDPKO in acknowledgement of its obtained achievements. Gen. Chien handed over the third-class Fatherland Protection Order to the Engineering Company Rotation 1, while Deputy Chief of the General Staff Sr. Lt. Gen. Phung Si Tan handed over the Prime Minister’s Certificate of Merit to Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 4 and Sr. Col. Mac Duc Trong, Head of the Engineering Company Rotation 1.
Translated by Tran Hoai