Deputy Minister of Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh speaks at the conference reviewing five years of Vietnam’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations in Hanoi on June 7

He made the statement at a conference reviewing five years of Vietnam’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations (2014-2019) held in Hanoi on June 7.

2014 marked Vietnam’s joining of the UN’s peacekeeping missions by the inception of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations of the Ministry of Defence and dispatch of the first two officers to the UN Peacekeeping Mission in South Sudan, he said.

After five years, Vietnam deployed 30 turns of officers to the UN’s two peacekeeping missions in South Sudan and Central African Republic to work as liaison officers, military observers and staff officers.

The country deployed the first level-2 field hospital with the 63-member staff to South Sudan, and is preparing for the deployment of the second level-2 field hospital and a sapper company soon.

As a new participant in the UN peacekeeping activities, boosting cooperation with other countries and organizations having a pool of experience in the work will enable Vietnam to learn their experience and access new military advances to improve capacity building of its peacekeepers, Vinh said.

He affirmed that Vietnam will continue with its peacekeeping operations with better quality and look to send its officers to work as staff officers to UN missions as well as UN agencies in New York, saying it will help Vietnam have stronger voice in the international community.

According to the Ministry of Defence, after 2020, the country’s peacekeeping activities are expected to be expanded, including the deployment of officers to more UN missions besides those in South Sudan and the Central African Republic.

The country will prepare personnel to run for posts in UN agencies or international organizations at the UN Mission.

Apart from being ready to deploy a sapper company from 2020, the country will consider the deployment of other forces, such as guards and air transport (helicopter) in line with its capacity.-VNA