Officers and soldiers at level-2 field hospital give training on prevention of COVID-19. (Photo: VNA)

Major General Hoang Kim Phung, Director of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations, said that from June 2014 to December 2020, Vietnam sent 179 officers and staff members of the Ministry of National Defence on UN peacekeeping missions in South Sudan, Central African Republic and UN Headquarters in New York (the US), which was highly appreciated by the UN, domestic and international opinion.

In 2020, three officers from the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations excellently passed exams of the UN to become staff at UN policy making agencies in the US and military coordinators of the UN peacekeeping missions and the Central African Republic army in the Central African Republic.

According to Major General Hoang Kim Phung, since 2014, Vietnam has sent 53 officers to deploy in individual form and 126 doctors and medical staff of the level-2 field hospital. The results of the hospital operation were highly appreciated by the Mission Command and the UN. The UN Deputy Secretary-General in charge of peacekeeping operations and the UN Secretary-General's Military Advisor in New York sent thanks to the Government of Vietnam for its medical contributions.

Currently, the hospital is also operating very effectively and continues to affirm its professional capacity, high sense of responsibility, and a reliable foundation in health care for UN staff in the area, especially in the context of complicated developments of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the past six years, Vietnam has sent 20 female soldiers in the level-2 field hospital and four female officers to participate in UN peacekeeping activities, higher than the 15% recommended rate offered by the UN. Currently, Vietnam is preparing an engineering team of more than 300 people to be ready for deployment in 2021.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung affirmed that the nearly 180 officers on peacekeeping duty bring a great symbolic value to the image of an innovative Vietnam, a reliable partner, a responsible member of the international community; contributing to enhancing Vietnam's position in the international arena.

Vietnam actively participates in the UN peacekeeping activities, contributing to affirming the foreign policy of multilateralism and diversification of the relations of the Party and the State, clearly reflecting an important renewal of thought in international integration. Through this activity, Vietnam continues to affirm its foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace-loving, respect for the UN's goals and principles, and the basic principles of UN operation, contributing to the creation and building of sustainable peace.

Many countries, especially major countries and important partners, wish to strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in UN peacekeeping activities, thereby expanding and deepening Vietnam’s cooperation with other countries. .

During the 10th session on November 13, 2020, the 14th National Assembly adopted Resolution 130/2020/QH14 on joining the UN peacekeeping operations, which will go into effect from July 1. Recently, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has signed a decision issuing a plan to implement Resolution 130/2020/QH14, assigning tasks to ministries, ministerial-level and government agencies, to ensure the timely, synchronous and effective realisation of the resolution./.

Compiled by BTA