Vietnam, France discuss experience on UN peacekeeping activities

Colonel Hoang Kim Phung speaks at the workshop. (Source: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnam Peacekeeping Centre on December 7 and France’s Embassy in Vietnam organised a workshop exchanging experience on the sending of a sapper unit to the United Nations (UN) peacekeeping missions.

Colonel Hoang Kim Phung, Director of the centre, said this is the second time Vietnam and France have exchanged expertise on the UN peacekeeping activities.

The workshop, assisted by France, manifests the commitment of the defence ministries of the two countries in implementing contents of the technical agreement on defence cooperation in the UN peacekeeping activities, which was signed on November 10, 2016.

Apart from preparing for the level 2 field hospital, Vietnam is arranging training and equipment for the sapper team to take part in the UN peacekeeping missions in the coming time.

Remi Lambert, First Counsellor of France’s Embassy in Vietnam, appreciated Vietnam’s participation in the UN peacekeeping activities by sending officers to UN missions in South Sudan and the Central African Republic.

Participating in the UN peacekeeping activities is the Party and State’s big policy to realise the external policy of multilateralising and diversifying relationships. Until now, Vietnam has sent 12 officers to UN missions.

Despite the small number of officers in UN missions, the effectiveness and quality of Vietnamese officers have been appreciated by leaders of UN missions.-VNA