Vietnam, China boost UN peacekeeping-related cooperation

Vietnamese and Chinese defence officials discussed professional knowledge about and China’s experience in joining United Nations peacekeeping missions at talks in Hanoi on November 30.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Xuan Thanh, one of the three officers sent to the UN peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (Photo: VNA)

Colonel Hoang Kim Phung, Director of the Vietnam Peacekeeping Centre, and Colonel Li Xiuhua, deputy head of the Chinese Ministry of National Defence’s Peacekeeping Office, said the talks aimed to implement agreements regarding UN peacekeeping operations between the two defence ministries.

The talks focused on promoting Vietnamese military medicine and engineering forces’ capacity of participating in UN peacekeeping activities to prepare for the deployment of Vietnamese officers to suitable missions in the near future.

The event also aimed to contribute to friendship and cooperation in UN peacekeeping between Vietnam and China as well as the overarching defence relations, they noted.

Since its inception in May 2014, the Vietnam Peacekeeping Centre has dispatched seven officers to the UN missions in South Sudan and the Central African Republic.

The country is preparing to deploy the second-level field hospital and a company of engineers to engage in peacekeeping missions when required.

President urges historians to finish national project

President Truong Tan Sang yesterday (Nov 30) urged the Viet Nam Association of Historical Sciences (VAHS) to mobilise all capacity to complete the National Annals of History as soon as possible.

President Truong Tan Sang attends a VASH conference held in H Noi yesterday. — Photo: VNA/VNS

The president made his request while making a speech at a VASH conference held yesterday in Ha Noi after listening to a report on the association's operation from 2010 to 2015.

He pointed out five key tasks for the association including the mobilisation of all capacity to complete the National Annuls of History with the best quality and encouraged all of its member historical scientists to work as direct consultants on the national education reform by improving the role of history in universal education curriculum.

President Sang spoke highly of the contribution made by the association through its members' study and research which had been considered as precious proof to affirm the national sovereignty of the East Sea, particularly in Spratly Archipelago and Paracel Islands.

He said the Party and Government would create favourable conditions for the association to undertake their activities in the next period.

The VAHS currently has a total of 6,000 members working in about 59 branches across the country including 33 at the provincial level and four in different sectors.

With a major role to boost the development of Vietnamese history, the association held numerous workshops and conducted scientific projects on society and history.

It has suggested a master project on researching and compiling the Viet Nam National Annals of History and got approval from the Politburo.

The annals, after being completed, is expected to set a milestone in the development of Vietnamese historical science.

VNA/VNS