Seven officers from the Vietnam Peacekeeping Centre will be dispatched to the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic and South Sudan in 2018. 

Deputy Defence Minister Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh (second from right) presented flowers to officers who fulfilled their missions in Central African Republic

Deputy Defence Minister Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh presented the President’s decision to the officers at a ceremony in Hanoi on May 21.

Accordingly, two officers will be sent to South Sudan as military observers.

Meanwhile, the group of five officers sent to the Central African Republic comprise one military observer and four staff officers.

Sen. Lieut. Gen. Nguyen Chi Vinh, who is also Head of the Defence Ministry’s Steering Committee for Vietnam’s participation in UN peacekeeping operations, told the officers to adhere to the Party and State’s diplomatic policies, military rules and regulations of the UN and law of the host countries.

He asked them ensure safety while doing the mission.

The officers are also assigned with the task of working with the UN mission to help with the deployment of Vietnam’s level-2 field hospital in South Sudan in late June this year. 

The Deputy Defence Minister requested the Vietnam Peacekeeping Centre to assist the officers in carrying out their missions as well as take good care of their family members.

The centre needs to continue selecting and training of capable and virtuous officers to work for the UN peacekeeping mission in the following years, Vinh said.

The dispatched officers pledged to apply military and diplomatic knowledge and promote their responsibility and creativity to fulfil their missions.

Vietnam has sent 20 officers to work at the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in Central African Republic and the UN Mission in South Sudan, including a female officer, after nearly four years of joining the UN peacekeeping operations.-VNA