Vietnam, as an active and responsible member of the international community, will assign soldiers to join the peacekeeping forces of the United Nations (UN) around the world, according to one of the country’s leading defence officials.

Deputy Minister of National Defence, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, made the pledge to provide assistance during a visit to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations and other UN agencies at the UN headquarters in New York City, the US, from June 26-29.

Vinh declared that conditions will be put in place so that Vietnamese soldiers can join military medical, engineering and observation units of peacekeeping forces without delay.

At a reception held for the Vietnamese general, Assistant Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations at the UN Edmon Mulet welcomed Vietnam ’s willingness to support the UN’s mission for global peace.

He presented information about his department’s history, apparatus and targets and offered some case studies of previous and ongoing peacekeeping missions.

Mulet expressed his belief that as a nation which has made many sacrifices in its struggle for peace, Vietnam will be able to contribute precious knowledge and experience to UN forces.

For his part, the Vietnamese guest thanked the UN’s positive assessment of the country’s role in peacekeeping.

Vinh stressed that being a UN member nation brings with it honour, but also responsibility.

Earlier, Deputy Minister Vinh and the Vietnamese inter-sectoral delegation visited South Sudan and surveyed the ongoing UN peacekeeping mission in the war-torn country.

Deputy Minister Vinh is heading the Defence Ministry’s Steering Committee for participation in UN peacekeeping missions.-VNA