Spreading the noble qualities of the People's Army and Vietnamese people to international friends

NDO - On the morning of June 29, in Ho Chi Minh City, speaking at the ceremony to send off Level 2 Field Hospital No. 5 and Engineering Team No. 2 to carry out the United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan and Abyei organized by the Ministry of National Defense , President Vo Van Thuong stated: "The luggage that you carry with you is national pride, solidarity, initiative, creativity, professionalism and the noble qualities of "Uncle Ho's soldiers" in the new era".

President Vo Van Thuong and leaders of the Ministry of National Defense attended the ceremony. (Photo: QĐND)

Also attending were members of the Party Central Committee, leaders of the Ministry of National Defense, the Office of the President, officers and staff of Level 2 Field Hospital No. 5, Engineering Team No. 2 and many relatives of officers and staff assigned to this mission.

With the companionship of the United Nations and friendly countries, and the support of international partners, you will make effective and practical contributions to regional and international peace and security, enhance the country's position and prestige, affirm a responsible Vietnam, the Vietnamese people love peace and have a sense of noble duty, and aspire for all people around the world to live in peace, stability, safety and prosperity.

After Level 2 Field Hospital No. 4 was deployed to the Mission, on March 28, 2022, the Minister of National Defense signed Decision No. 919/QD-BQP to establish Level 2 Field Hospital No. 5 to participate in United Nations peacekeeping operations, with 70 comrades, including: 63 official and 7 reserve, based on forces from Military Regions 5, 7, 9; Army Corps 4; Military Hospital 175; Vietnam Peacekeeping Department and a number of other units in the entire army to prepare and train to replace Field Hospital 2.4.

The Vietnam Peacekeeping Department coordinates with Military Hospital 175 and relevant agencies and units to provide training in politics, military, technical logistics, medical expertise, and UN peacekeeping knowledge, especially practical training, closely following the developments of the situation and tasks at the Mission; coordinates with international partners to provide training in English and some specialized contents on UN peacekeeping such as international trauma first aid, air medical transport, prevention of sexual violence, International Humanitarian Law, and explosive identification, in order to fully meet the criteria of the United Nations and the requirements for performing tasks at the Mission.

President Vo Van Thuong and delegates at the ceremony. (Photo: QĐND)

In addition, on November 20, 2022, the Minister of National Defense signed Decision No. 4856/QD-BQP, establishing Engineering Team No. 2 under the Vietnam Peacekeeping Department to perform UN peacekeeping missions with 203 members, including 184 official members and 19 reserve members, mobilized from agencies and units: Military Regions 1, 2, 3, 4; Corps 1, 2; the following branches: Engineering, Special Forces, Communications; Vietnam Peacekeeping Department and agencies and units throughout the army.

The Vietnam Peacekeeping Department has coordinated with the Engineering Corps to organize parallel training, including: Engineering specialized training at the Engineering Corps; English language training for key personnel; training in equipment for communications, medical specialties, logistics, and engineering; organizing joint operational training close to the local situation and tasks assigned by the Mission based on the results of the implementation of the tasks of Engineering Team No. 1. At the departure ceremony, President Vo Van Thuong affirmed: The Vietnamese people have a tradition of peace and love for peace. In the new development period with the policy of continuing to comprehensively promote the process of innovation, industrialization, modernization, and comprehensive and extensive international integration to build a prosperous and happy country, the Party and State have always consistently implemented the foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, diversification, and multilateralization for peace, cooperation, and development of the region and the world. Vietnam is ready to be a friend, a reliable partner, and a responsible member of the international community. Vietnam's political commitment is to join hands to solve difficult problems and maintain a peaceful and stable environment for cooperation and development.

The President was pleased to inform that, after nearly 10 years, since the Politburo approved the "Overall Plan on Vietnam's participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations", we have basically completed the mechanisms, creating a legal basis for sending the Vietnam People's Army and the Vietnam People's Public Security Forces to participate in United Nations peacekeeping operations outside Vietnam's territory. To date, Vietnam has sent 533 officers and professional soldiers to participate in United Nations peacekeeping operations. The forces have promoted their roles and responsibilities well in their assigned positions and duties. The achievements of Vietnam's United Nations peacekeeping forces have been highly appreciated in many important areas, participating in solving international issues, responding to traditional and non-traditional challenges in the region and the world, contributing to the noble mission of joining hands to realize the "Sustainable Development Goals" and "Millennium Goals" of the United Nations. The President affirmed: The Party and State always trust and are proud of the achievements of Vietnam's peacekeeping forces in recent times, and believe that the units deployed to the replacement Mission will continue the tradition and inherit the achievements of the previous peacekeeping forces, promote their bravery, intelligence and capacity in carrying out the noble tasks assigned by the Party, State, Army and people, meet the requirements of the United Nations, and be worthy of the tradition of Uncle Ho's soldiers in carrying out the United Nations peacekeeping mission.

On this occasion, President Vo Van Thuong respectfully thanked the United Nations, international partners and peace-loving people around the world for their valuable contributions to Vietnam in the cause of national construction, maintaining peace and stability for development; actively supporting Vietnam in the process of preparing forces and implementing peacekeeping missions at United Nations peacekeeping missions.

Officers and staff of Engineering Team No. 2 at the departure ceremony. (Photo: QĐND)

Stating that, in the context of the world's complex and unpredictable developments, directly affecting and influencing the cause of maintaining peace and stability in the region and the world, we must continue to maintain our commitment, unanimity, and join hands with the international community to have flexible adaptation measures and effectively respond to challenges, the President requested the Central Military Commission, the Ministry of National Defense, and the forces and individuals assigned to participate in the United Nations peacekeeping activities this time on the basis of fully and deeply grasping the Party's guidelines and policies, the State's policies and laws, especially on foreign affairs and international integration, with the goal of protecting national and ethnic interests, in accordance with the United Nations Charter and international law to which Vietnam is a member.

The Central Military Commission and the Ministry of National Defense continue to lead and direct the effective implementation of the Master Plan on Vietnam's participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations and Resolution No. 130 of the National Assembly on participation in United Nations peacekeeping forces; effectively advise the Party and State on perfecting the legal framework and developing legal documents on participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations, especially on processes, procedures, regimes and policies. President Vo Van Thuong emphasized the need to ensure the highest level of security and safety for Vietnamese forces participating in United Nations peacekeeping operations; at the same time, improve the operational efficiency of Vietnamese forces in mission areas, to best meet the requirements of the United Nations and the expectations of the Party, State and people for you. President Vo Van Thuong said: "We always look forward to your new achievements. Actively research and advise on strategies to gradually participate more deeply, expand forces, locations, and positions, especially command and management positions at the United Nations Headquarters and mission locations where Vietnam has strengths such as military control forces, communications, and helicopter transport; at the same time, create a sustainable force source, increase the proportion of female soldiers participating in the force, meeting the United Nations Gender Equality Strategy for the 2018-2028 period". The President noted that it is necessary to improve the quality of force preparation and training in all aspects, especially in terms of expertise, peacekeeping operations, foreign language proficiency, soft skills, and survival skills; promote proactiveness, creativity, self-reliance, self-reliance and proactive adaptation in performing tasks at missions in difficult conditions under the United Nations' "Action for Peace" initiative. The President stated that the forces need to actively and proactively cooperate substantially and effectively with countries and international partners to improve capacity, learn from experience, mobilize support resources, move towards full initiative in capacity and effectively participate in regional and international cooperation mechanisms on United Nations peacekeeping. President Vo Van Thuong and leaders of the Ministry of National Defense and the Office of the President went to the plane's stairs to see off and present gifts to officers and staff of Level 2 Field Hospital No. 5 and Engineering Team No. 2 who were leaving for their missions.

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