Vietnam’s peacekeeping force wins high appreciation

Hanoi (VNA) – The peacekeeping force of Vietnam has made considerable contributions over the past years, which have won the recognition and high evaluation from the United Nations and international friends, thereby helping to promote the country’s stature and prestige in the region and the world.

Lieutenant Colonel Stéphane Pierrat, an European Union expert for peacekeeping sent to the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations, told the Vietnam News Agency that the Vietnamese peacekeepers are “fully capable to join all the standards from United Nations”, and that they are proving their experience on the ground in South Sudan.

The force has assisted not only the troops but also the population in South Sudan, and been “very welcomed”, he said, adding that the UN has highly valued Vietnam’s contributions.

Pierrat said that he has seen people coming back with a very great smile and also people going to South Sudan with a great smile, and that they must be very happy and proud to be in this mission.

Since June 2014, Vietnam has deployed three level-2 field hospitals to South Sudan. The first two fulfilled their tasks and already returned home while the third departed for the African country on March 23.

Talking about Vietnam’s dedication to UN peacekeeping operations, Major Colonel Adam R. Lulay, Bilateral Affairs Officer from the US Office of Defence Cooperation, said: “The experiences that Vietnam is seeing and getting well over in South Sudan, they can bring a lot of those lessons learned back here and incorporated into Vietnam, but also spread it to their peers and the future missions.”

The Vietnamese force’s performance in South Sudan is an exemplar of medical assistance, especially amid the current challenges of COVID-19, according to the officer.

Lulay said the peacekeepers from Vietnam have “done an incredible job leading the way in many ways”, especially the percentage of women higher than the level recommended by the UN.

Over the last six years, Vietnam has included 20 servicewomen in its level-2 field hospital staff, accounting for nearly 16 percent, and four others individually deployed to UN peacekeeping operations, higher than the recommended 15 percent.

Major General Hoang Kim Phung, Director of the Vietnam Department of Peacekeeping Operations, noted though the country has just taken part in UN peacekeeping operations, it has made a great impression on international friends, particularly the UN and the missions in South Sudan and the Central African Republic.

The performance by both the first and second level-2 field hospitals has been highly valued by the mission leaders and the UN. The UN Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix also sent a thank-you letter to the Vietnamese Government for the medical contribution./.