Hanoi (VNA) – The year of 2023 has continued towitness Vietnam’s practical and effective contributions to United Nationspeacekeeping operations, helping to affirm the country’s image as a dynamic, active and responsible member of the international community.

Following the Party and State’s orientations, Vietnam hassent personnel to UN peacekeeping missions, realising the country’s foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and development.

So far, Vietnam has sent nearly 800 military and publicsecurity officers to the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), the UNMultidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central AfricanRepublic (MINUSCA), and the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) aswell as the UN headquarters in the forms of individuals and units.

Currently, Vietnam ranks 45th out of 120countries sending military and police officers to the missions with the number of personnel regularlydeployed to field missions reaching 274, including 36 women officers.

The UN Secretary General, the UN Under-Secretary-General forpeacekeeping operations and the UN Military Advisor have repeatedly praised Vietnamesepeacekeeping forces and sent letters of thanks to the Government of Vietnam forthe contributions of the forces. Many UN leaders also highlighted Vietnam'scontributions to promoting gender equality by sending a large number of womenofficers to UN peacekeeping missions, meeting and exceeding the criteria set bythe UN.

UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-PierreLacroix hailed the active and effective engagement of Vietnam in UNpeacekeeping activities as well as the country’s commitments to realising UNtargets and criteria. The official said he was deeply impressed by the Vietnamese engineering unit’s performance in the UNISFA despite difficulties.

Meanwhile, UN Under-Secretary-General Atul Khare for Operational Support expressed his admiration for Vietnam's efforts and contributions, especially through thedeployment of level-2 field hospitals to UN peacekeeping missions since 2018.This showed Vietnam’s strong commitments and efforts, and was a wonderful thingin the partnership between Vietnam and the UN, he commented.

In March this year, during a conversation with AmbassadorDang Hoang Giang, Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, SpecialRepresentative of the Secretary-General for South Sudan and Head of the UNMISS NicholasHaysom appreciated the active and effective contributions, creativeness andefforts to overcome difficulties of medical officers and soldiers of thelevel-2 field hospital and peacekeepers of Vietnam at the UNMISS.

In December, UN Police Adviser Faisal Shahkar highly valued Vietnam’sactive involvement and good results in peacekeeping operations, includingpolice activities, and voiced his hope for closer cooperation with Vietnam inthis regard.

At an event to honour the contributions and sacrifices of “blueberet” forces as part of activities marking the 75th anniversary of theInternational Day of United Nations Peacekeepers (May 29, 1948-2023), UNSecretary General Antonio Guterres emphasised that in the context of escalatingtensions and conflicts in many regions of the world, UN peacekeeping forces areconsidered a fulcrum of safety and hope for people in many countries and is asymbol of multilateralism.

At the event, Ambassador Dang Hoang Giang, on behalf of the Vietnamese State, received a Dag Hammarskjöld Medal - the medal for the cause of international peace toservicemen who died while on duty under the UN flag in 2022 - presented by the UN Secretary General toLieutenant Colonel Do Anh.

The contributions and successes of Vietnam in the past journey are clear evidencethat the deployment of forces to international peacekeeping operations is a sound policy of the Party and State, helping to affirm that Vietnam is aresponsible member of the international community, enhancing Vietnam'sposition, prestige and role in solving international problems, while creatingfavourable conditions to promote international cooperation on both bilateral andmultilateral aspects.

With their braveness and spirit of self-reliance as well as flexible andcreative approach, Vietnamese officers joining peacekeeping activities have shownstrong performance in implementing their tasks, overcoming difficulties, maintaining close relations with local communities, and acting as ambassadors ofpeace and friendship. Joining UN peacekeeping missions has also helped Vietnamactively prepare forces and become ready to deal with non-traditional challenges in any circumstances./.