The event saw the participation of Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, member of the Party Central Committee, permanent member of the Central Military Commission, Head of the Intersectoral Working Group and the Ministry of National Defense’s Steering Committee on Vietnam’s participation in United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (UNPKO) and Deputy Defense Minister; Lieutenant General Le Hien Van, Deputy Director of the General Department of Politics; leaders of agencies under the MND; representatives of the VNDPKO; officers who are undertaking tasks at UN peacekeeping missions; and reporters.

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During the exchange program

Speaking at the program, Senior Colonel Hoang Kim Phung, Chief of the VNDPKO, briefed the participants on the results of Vietnamese peacekeepers in South Sudan and the Central African Republic achieved last year and highlighted major development in the five years of participation of the Vietnam People's Army in UNPKO, especially the deployment of the first level-two field hospital (L2FH) to South Sudan in October 2018.

He stressed that the dispatch of military officers to UN peacekeeping missions conveys a message that Vietnam has a high sense of responsibility for the international community, and wants to contribute to preserving peace and stability in the region and the world.

Phung also hoped that the civilian and military press agencies will continue to reflect activities of the VNDPKO in particular and defense external affairs of the country in general, thereby contributing to strengthening international cooperation of the military and the country in joining UNPKO.

The program aimed to honor the sound and effective leadership of the Ministry of National Defense and plentiful information of domestic and foreign press agencies on the deployment of Vietnamese officers and the L2FH No.1 to UN peacekeeping missions in 2018.

During the program, through stories about daily life of Vietnamese officers at UN peacekeeping missions, people could learn more about the tasks of the VNDPKO.

On behalf of Vietnamese peacekeepers, Senior Colonel Phung thanked the press for their support and effective information about activities of the VNDPKO and Vietnamese peacekeepers over the past five years. He hoped that the press would continue to spread information about Vietnam’s participation in UNPKO in general and Vietnamese peacekeepers in particular with a focus on featuring the image of Uncle Ho's soldiers wearing their green berets.

Translated by Lam Anh