Seven Additional Military Officers Join UN Peacekeeping Mission

Sen. Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien hands over the decisions to the officers. Photo: VNA

The President’s decisions to send seven additional military officers to UN peacekeeping missions were handed over to the officers during a ceremony held by the Ministry of National Defence on February 7, VNA reported, VNS reported.

Among those officers, two are sent to the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), four to the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), and one will serve at the UN mission in Central Africa, replacing their predecessors who have completed their term.

At the ceremony, four officials who successfully completed their tasks at UN peacekeeping missions were welcomed back.

“Today, seven officers received the State President’s Decision and the Decision of the Ministry of Defence to go on duty at the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in the Central African Republic, South Sudan and the Abyei Area,” said Major General Hoang Kim Phung.

“To prepare the force to replace comrades in performing their duties, the Việt Nam Department of Peacekeeping Operations of the Ministry of Defence selected officers with strong military capabilities, qualifications, and UN peacekeeping knowledge, foreign language proficiency, and good health assurance,” Phung said.

“The Vietnam Peacekeeping Department organised courses and pre-deployment training for the seven officers and sent the officers to participate in different training courses overseas to raise the level of expertise in each officer’s field at the missions,” the Major General said.

The Major General, who is also head of the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department, said that Vietnam had sent 526 officials and staff, including 522 military officers and four police officers, to participate in UN peacekeeping activities on three UN missions and headquarters.

Participants at the ceremony. Photo: VNA

According to the evaluation of UN missions and agencies, Vietnamese officers have made great efforts in performing their assigned tasks, demonstrating professionalism and high discipline and providing a lot of creativity that left many excellent impressions on mission leaders, military force commanders and international colleagues with specific, practical and highly humane contributions.

Addressing the event, member of the Central Military Commission and Deputy Defence Minister Sen. Lt. Gen. Hoang Xuan Chien affirmed that UN peacekeeping force has contributed to the creation of a strong imprint of Vietnam in general and the Vietnam People’s Army in particular in the international arena in the multilateral external environment.

Vietnam People’s Army officers have helped enhance the image of Uncle Ho’s army in the eyes of international friends, especially in the area where they are based, he underlined.

He asked units under the Ministry of National Defence to continue to focus on training activities to help the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations diversify human resources and serve the development of the Vietnamese UN peacekeeping force.

On behalf of the newly assigned peacekeepers, Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Kim Tinh affirmed that they will complete the tasks assigned by the UN and the Ministry of National Defense, ensuring absolute safety in all aspects.