Deputy Defense Minister Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Truong Thang, Head of the Inter-sectoral Working Group and Head of the Ministry of National Defense’s Steering Committee on Participation in U.N. Peacekeeping Operations, chaired the event, with leaders of relevant agencies and units in attendance.
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Sr. Lt. Gen. Nguyen Truong Thang chairs the conference. |
Addressing the conference, the deputy defense minister commended the VNDPKO and relevant agencies and units for effectively preparing and deploying Vietnamese personnel to U.N. missions. These efforts, he noted, have bolstered Vietnam’s standing and the reputation of its military on the international stage.
He highlighted that the department has effectively managed and directed deployed personnel to ensure strict discipline and uphold safety and security while fulfilling assigned tasks. It has also actively coordinated with relevant bodies to advise the Central Military Commission and the MND on participation in U.N. peacekeeping, while working with ministries and sectors to refine the legal framework, including advancing the Law on Participation in U.N. Peacekeeping Forces.
Looking ahead, General Thang called for continued coordination to implement assigned tasks, with a focus on training and comprehensive preparation for Engineering Company Rotation 5 and Level-2 Field Hospital Rotation 8 to ensure readiness for scheduled deployment.
The department is also tasked with working closely with personnel and military agencies to build a pool of qualified candidates for U.N. peacekeeping missions. Priority will be given to improving foreign language proficiency, selecting high-quality personnel for senior positions at missions and at United Nations Headquarters, and establishing clear coordination mechanisms across the military.
Relevant agencies and units are required to pro-actively prepare personnel meeting all standards and organize specialized training to ensure readiness for deployment when assigned. At the same time, they are to implement support policies for families of deployed personnel, helping ensure peace of mind and mission effectiveness.
The Department of External Relations will coordinate with the VNDPKO to engage with the U.N. and international partners to support capacity building, as well as promote the signing, extension, and upgrading of memoranda of understanding on peacekeeping cooperation.
At the conference, VNDPKO’s Director Major General Pham Manh Thang reported that since May 2014, more than 1,300 Vietnamese officers and professional soldiers have been deployed to U.N. missions in both individual and unit formats. All have completed their duties successfully and received positive evaluations.
In international cooperation, the department has facilitated 11 cooperation agreements and maintained effective partnerships with the U.N., the European Union, and other partners, securing over USD 20 million in support for training and capacity building. Training has been conducted in line with U.N. standards, combining domestic and international programs and reinforcing the role of Vietnam’s peacekeeping training center as a credible regional institution.
Vietnam is also expected to participate in the PRAGATI-I exercise in May 2026 and the VINBAX 2026 exercise in September 2026, hosted by India.
Translated by Tran Hoai